This old Civil War soldier saying is still valid today. Many of these American soldiers of a century and some ago had to fight with the old flint rifles. Dry gun powder was essential in the battle because wet powder won’t ignite. When the hammer on the rifle goes down the sparks fly but if the powder is dry the bullet doesn’t. So these old timey warriors of the American landscape worked hard at making sure in their river crossing, rain soaked, sweaty existence that the gun powder they carried with them stayed dry as a bone.
This old quote is a balancing statement that emphasizes that although we trust in God to protect us during times of danger we should also take precautions. I trust in God but I lock my door at night. I trust in God but I make sure my kids don’t play in the street. I trust in God but I carry a spare tire (and not just around my waist!) We trust God but we take precautions. For instance:
For the first time in our sixteen year history Dare 2 Share went on lockdown today. Why? Because we are just a few minutes away from the WYAM campus where two young people lost their lives yesterday in the early morning hours. Until the police in the Springs and Arvada are relatively sure that the gunman that was gunned down at New Life Church was the same one that shot these young people we are taking precautions.
What’s the biggest precaution that we took today? We prayed together as a staff. We prayed for the surviving victims, all the victim’s families, for our brothers and sisters at YWAM, for our friends at Faith Bible and New Life and for the safety of our own families.
What’s the second biggest precaution that we took today? We locked the door.
