Snowstorms are seemingly inevitable each winter in Kansas City. Every so often a winter passes by without any huge weather events, but that is rare. Similarly, life storms that hit are unavoidable. They are sure. To pass through an entire life without facing any expected or unexpected challenges would be to live in a perfect world without sin. One day, believers will live in that beautifully restored world! But for now, we are surrounded by sin, which means storms. will. come. It’s a matter of when, not if. Are you prepared?

Transportation workers pre-treat the roads to prepare for storms. What if we pre-treated our lives? There are lots of habits and practices that might fall into this pre-treatment category. As I reflect on my own life, imperfect as it is, here are five of my pre-treatment practices that have proved most helpful when storms have come. 

• READ THE BIBLE. God’s Word is full of life-giving truth. It teaches about who God is and how to live a life of faith and surrender. Need hope? It’s there. Need encouragement? It’s there. Need confidence? It’s there. Need assurance? peace? love? wisdom? It’s there. Whatever you need can be found in the pages of Scripture. But if you’ve already been reading, studying and meditating on the Bible consistently, then when a storm hits, you’ll know just where to turn to find what you need. Case in point: When I experienced the unexpected deaths of several loved ones within the course of a year, not only did I know which verses to read to soothe my soul, but I also had an established Bible study routine that kept me focused on God. He met me there, as I sat in my favorite coffee shop with my Bible open on the table, and made His Word come alive in the most intimate, special ways through the power of the Holy Spirit. When you’ve been faithfully spending time in Scripture, then you will be ready and equipped to traverse difficult seasons while standing on the steadiest foundation in the world, the timeless, unchanging Word of God.
• ATTEND CHURCH REGULARLY. People’s schedules are so busy these days—all week long. When I was younger, I seem to remember youth organizations avoiding Sundays and Wednesdays when scheduling games, practices and events. That is certainly not the case now! Even “church days” are often filled with activity. But you, as a follower of Jesus, can choose to prioritize attending church every week. Clicking into an online service is a helpful option every so often if you’re out of town or home sick, but there’s nothing like being IN the house of God, surrounded by the people of God. If it’s your regular practice to attend church each Sunday, then when challenges arise, your body will default to prioritizing church. And when life is hard, being in church will certainly not make things any harder. In fact, it will do the exact opposite! Will attending a church service fix everything on the spot? Nope. But spending a little time in an atmosphere with worship music, Bible teaching and people who love Jesus can only help. When you’re in a regular church rhythm, you’re pre-treating your soul. 
• BE IN COMMUNITY. If an unspeakable tragedy struck your life today, do you have a list/group of believers who you could immediately reach out to? …for prayer, a ride, a meal, a favor or just a listening ear? Do you have people who you can turn to for godly wisdom and guidance? If not, they probably won’t just appear when you need them most. Pre-treating here might look like joining a small group at your church, getting involved with some kind of service or ministry, or simply challenging yourself to talk to one  new person before or after church each week. Maybe you’re sensing God’s call to join a Bible study (like Bible Study Fellowship)! Maybe God is nudging you to start up a little neighborhood prayer group that gathers in your living room once a week/month. Whatever the case may be, investing time in building a godly community around you is vital. We need each other! And we need each other most when life’s storms hit.  
• MEMORIZE SCRIPTURE. Sometimes challenges arise in the most unexpected places. You may not have your Bible nearby to open up. Perhaps your phone isn’t even accessible at that moment, so you cannot call or text anyone for help. For times like these, do you have any Scripture verses memorized? Most likely, Bible verses will not just pop into your heart/mind in your moment of need unless you have taken the time and effort to plant them there. I have been working on memorizing some Bible passages, and let me tell you, it’s a lot slower going than I would prefer. But guess what? It’s going. Slowly but surely, I am planting God’s Word in my heart, and when trials arise, it will be there—waiting and ready. 
• BE IN CONVERSATION. …with God. It’s SO easy to get swept away in the world’s currents and activity each day. Even if I’ve spent time studying my Bible and talking to God first thing in the morning, sometimes just a couple hours later, I’ve been caught up by a flurry of activity at work that’s taken my mind completely away from anything spiritual. I recently read “The Practice of the Presence of God,” by Brother Lawrence, which talked about staying in conversation with God all day every day. This is a practice that takes time and discipline to develop. In the meantime, talk to God as often as you can. Even if it’s just a quick, Hi, God! or Thank you for the way that conversation went! or Can you help me respond wisely to this email? If you’re keeping that line of divine communication open throughout the day, then when trouble unexpectedly knocks at your door, it will feel so natural to immediately talk to God about it. When you’re in the habit of keeping Him in the loop of your life, then sudden struggle won’t jolt you as much as it otherwise might. Right away, you will remember that God is there, God is accessible, God is listening, and God stands ready to help. 

It is so important to think and plan ahead. What kinds of pre-treatments have you set into motion? If an unexpected life challenge fell into your path today, would your spiritual roads be ready? This verse from Psalm 84 just came to mind, particularly the wording from The Message translation. 

And how blessed all those in whom you live, whose lives become roads you travel. -Psalm 83:5

Go on and pre-treat the heck out of your life! Intentionally place and keep Jesus on every single road. There’s no time like the present to prepare for the future.