Many of you know about or at least have heard of the “Survival Kit,” a pack of emergency equipment, including food, medical supplies, and tools, especially as carried by members of the armed forces; a collection of items to help someone in a particular situation.
I use the Survival Kit when it comes to my people as a way of being able to survive through the toughest situations and times, regardless of what they may be. Several families (immigrants) have come into this country and they live in one house. That is not new when it comes to many African Americans.
In fact, my sister, some of our cousins who were like our sisters and brothers were born in a log cabin (house) in Gibsonville, North Carolina. We were close knit. Since we were already in this country and not considered immigrants, our grandparents and parents learned to survive in the same house.
We had one long table in the kitchen, and it was not like it is today, everybody ate together and enjoyed the food. We did not have running water; it came from a well, no indoor bathroom, we had to go to the outhouse and I hated it. A galvanized tin tub was used on Saturday night to bath in, and the baths were taken in the living room-bedroom near the pot belly stove in the wintertime.
My family made it work with the help of the Lord, which was our “Survival kit.” This younger generation would probably say: I couldn’t take it” Since you have not experienced it, you don’t know whether you could take it or not. God has grace for everything we go through. In fact, and God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. (2 Corinthians 9:8)
My adult family, especially my Grandma Alice, trusted the Lord and believed that He would supply every need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19). Grandma was not educated but she was definitely educated about God; she had a real relationship with Him; not a superficial one.
Tight but it was right; we made it over. My words of encouragement today, use those others as models and examples to let your faith rise despite the circumstances. Fix your eye on Jesus- when I say fix, which means to fully concentrate on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. (Hebrews 11:1) But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
The history of our “Survival Kit” has been and always will be faith!
His handmaiden, Betty A. Burnett ~ burnettministries.org
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