ARKY ARKY

I found someone who would understand and serves as a model for what it feels like to wait and wait and wait for the "go" from God.

He spent 12 and a half months (that's over a year!) stuck inside a big boat with his immediate family and a zoo of animals. The first 40 days were relatively eventful with storms raging on outside and needing to adjust to the close quarters and getting over seasickness. The next 4 months probably felt like they were settling into a routine as they drifted around and got familiar with the animals (although I think they were probably feeling a little claustrophobic by then). Then, one day, they suddenly felt a jolt. Their boat hit a rock and they'd stopped moving! A glimmer of hope.

But now the real waiting started. It took another 7 and a half months before the ground was dry. I suspect Noah and everyone else were more than eager to get out of there. Day after day after day, all they could do was stay put and wait for God to do His work of drying up the water. They couldn't hurry it up even if they tried. No wonder he sent both a raven and a dove to check on the progress.

To Noah's credit, even when he saw that it was dry enough to leave, he didn't move until he heard the word from God. Here was a man whose patience was grown out of trial.

Reflecting on Noah's experience, I am encouraged. Akin to him, I feel grateful for being spared from the destruction of the flood. But I have to admit I feel restless on the boat. I'm waiting for the water to dry - and I can't make it dry any quicker! Hopefully, by God's grace, I will learn from his example though and wait for the "go" from the Lord before I try to get out of the boat - even if the circumstances seem to be right.

Of course, I'm also extremely grateful I'm not living in a boat full of animals. =)