Who is your favourite Superhero?
Guess who mine was when I was young.... It was Batman. Batman, unlike Superman, and all the others had no super powers to rely on, only his own being and the assistance of Robin. I used to get home and sit down in front of the TV and watch he save Gotham City residents from the perils of the Riddler, The Joker, The Penguin (Qwack Qwack Qwack) as well of course Cat Woman.
It always amazed me that Batman always had whatever was needed either on him or in his Utility Belt. I recall once him being stuck in a freezer and saying to Robin, "Its just as well I happen to be wearing my Thermal B underwear". and of course this saved him. This utility belt had everything, Bat-arang, Bat-Cuffs, rope, - you name it.
When I went camping, I used to pack my pack like Batman's Utility Belt, anything I thought I might need went into that pack - often 2 of some things - just incase I lent or lost the the first item. That was my interpretation of Being Prepared - always having the right items whether I needed them or not...
My thoughts have changed a lot since then, who can guess my Super Hero now.... James Bond. Like Batman James Bond can only rely on human capabilities plus a few gadgets. The thing I like about James Bond is that he is always prepared, but not like Batman, Bond is always ready to look around and to use anything around him to suit his need at the time. Just note how many times he is the one without the gun, surrounded but still able to foil the enemy and get away. Now I try to Be Prepared like James Bond, a fast agile resourceful mind, with the skills to do the job. The gadgets are a secondary thing - they're in fact useless unless a resourceful mind can put them to work in a way to be most effective.
Nowadays my pack is much lighter (thank goodness), because now I am trying to Be Prepared in my mind rather than my pack.
That pretty well covers being prepared in your mind and your belongings, but what about your heart? If God were to come and say to you tomorrow - Are you ready... Could you comfortably say yes, you have prepared your heart, you have accepted those around you, you have forgiven the scout who called you a name yesterday...
The Scouts' motto is Be Prepared, and all too often it is thought of as just carrying a good penknife. But it is much more than that, it is about having skills and resourcefulness to make do, and its about having an attitude that will adapt for many situations, and its about being prepared for your God.