In case you were wondering, it’s really hard to type when a huge cat is trying to sit on your keyboard and reach your hands because he needs pets. That has nothing to do with this, but Sushi is making things a little difficult right now by doing just that.
Okay, moving on. (Slowly and with much difficulty, because of said fat cat.)
I’m personally pretty amazed by Noah. Noah was a man who trusted God wholeheartedly. When God said that rain was gonna fall and Noah needed to build a boat, Noah didn’t question God, even though this idea sounded crazy. He just obeyed God. Even when people made fun of him. I mean, I found it hard enough in high school when I looked different from everyone else for wearing skirts every day. I wasn’t doing anything THAT weird. And yet here’s a guy building a BOAT and animals start appearing out of nowhere. Yeah, I’d think he’s weird.
But Noah held on to God’s Word, trusting Him, even though he didn’t know what the outcome was going to be.
Today I was thinking what life on the ark must have been like. When I was in high school, I went on a cruise with my best friend. I got sea sick a few times, which wasn’t fun. Thankfully they had medicine for that.
One evening, we were all dressed up in our fancy wear walking around the boat taking photos on my little pink camera when the boat tipped. Not a little. But A LOT. I was afraid the boat was going to flip, it tilted that much. But the party didn’t stop in the casino we had snuck into (because the bar in there had smoothies) and the crew wasn’t freaking out, so when the boat righted, we tried to act calm. (Funny aside, Juju’s mom came running into the lobby wearing a life jacket, urging us to put one on too. “If y’all want to die, that’s fine, but I refuse to.”) Later we learned that there had been a fire in the engine room or something. I don’t know boat terms, but there was a fire where a fire should not have been.
All that to say that I can only imagine it was much worse on the ark. I mean, maybe not, since God designed the boat and all that. But still, it was probably a very bumpy ride, and it was not just a week cruise.
See, on my cruise we got to relax. We ate food prepared by talented chefs, enjoyed the spa services, were waited on hand and foot by the amazing crew. Not so much for Noah and fam--they WERE the crew.
And man, their jobs were TOUGH. Who even knows how many animals were on that ship?
Casey and I have a dog and two cats and we deal with enough craziness. Both cats got baths yesterday and we both have battle scars. Between the inside animals and the neighborhood cats we feed (and the racoons and opposums that come for midnight snack), we go through A LOT of food. Keeping all the animals on the boat fed was probably a full time job. On top of that, Noah was the caretaker for them. The vet. Any sick animals? Here comes Dr. Noah! And what if the rain scared the animals? Oxford gets so scared when there is lightning and thunder. Can you imagine if the horses started freaking out because of the weather outside?
Oh, and the smell. Ew. When one of our cats uses the litter box I immediately start lighting every candle in the house. I don’t even want to imagine what it must have smelled like on the boat.
I just heard some strange noises coming from the dining room and had to go see what Tigger was getting into. Thankfully he’s just playing with some seashells he found in a bowl. The other day I heard something and walked into the kitchen to find Sushi walking out with a bag of treats in his mouth. The bag of treats that had been on top of the refrigerator. Poor Noah and co. They had hundreds of animals to tend to and then there were these two CATS being little stinkers and getting into EVERYTHING.
So yeah. I can imagine that being on the ark wasn’t a very pleasant experience. You’re dealing with nausea because sea sickness. Spending all day feeding animals and all night yelling at them to SHUT UP, IT’S SLEEP TIME NOT PLAY TIME! (Can you tell we’ve said this to the cats once or twice--or every night--at midnight?) There are fleas and flies EVERYWHERE. (Seriously God, why couldn’t we have left them off the ark?) It smells so bad you’re wondering if maybe it would be okay to open a window. You started out with two rabbits and now there are 57. You’re trying to feed the camels and the boat hits a wave and tilts and an elephant comes flying at you, nearly squishing you to death. The giraffe starts freaking out and you look over to see that the cat thought its neck was a tree trunk and--as cute as that little orange fluffball is--he needs a spanking but is making you chase him all over the ark because he knows what’s coming.
I’d be so ready to GET OFF THAT BOAT ALREADY! And, according to the Biblical timeline, Noah and fam were on the boat for around a year. I’d be sick of the animals, sick of my family, sick of the smelly air. I’d be so done. As soon as that boat stopped moving, I’d be opening up the door and saying, “Everybody, OUT!”
But Noah didn’t do that. Because Noah is a much better person than I am. (Thankfully.) In fact, he didn’t even open a window for a while! (Gen 8:6)
If I’m understanding correctly, it was at least 200 days before Noah even opened the door. He used wisdom and patience, knowing that it was not a good idea to step out of that ark yet. The earth wasn’t ready, as confirmed by the dove. Noah waited on the Lord to tell him to move on.
I’m drinking hot tea right now (well, okay, it’s gone cold because I’m too wordy) and the mug says “Bloom where you are planted.” Sometimes I need this reminder because I’m ready to move to the next stage God has for me. The next stage in my ministry. The next stage in my family. The next house. The next missions trip. I really want God to speed up.
But God has my best interest in mind. Isaiah 55:8-9 says:
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
If Noah had left the boat too early, the earth would not be ready to receive him. Maybe it would have still been muddy. Can you imagine reaching for freedom but then an elephant gets stuck in the mud outside the ark and causes the line to back up?
When Noah left the boat, be began farming (Gen 8:20). Most likely, the ground wasn’t ready for farming yet. What if he tried anyway? I don’t know much about farming, but I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t work.
Noah knew that doing things on his own terms was a bad idea--he waited for God during the difficult time, knowing that God would not fail him.
This is something I’m working on. To wait on the Lord, be patient, use wisdom, and grow where I am right now. I don’t want to rush God. I want to let him fully prepare my future (and myself) before I step into it. Especially when I look at my past, I see the times I tried to walk into my future before I was supposed to. It ended so horribly. It caused me so much hurt and pain. But, also looking at my past, I can see how beautifully things turned out when I waited on God. When I withstood the test and the tough stuff and said, “Not my will but Yours be done.” It wasn’t easy. But it was worth it.
And here I am again in the same boat (pun accidentally intended but appropriate), saying “Not my will, but Yours.” Still wanting things to go faster and for God to step on it. Asking if maybe we can just open the window and get a glimpse outside. Worrying, even though I know I can trust Him because He gave me a promise. Even though I know He’s just getting everything together so I can experience the beauty He has in store for me. Things may stink now (both figuratively and literally--where’s those candles?), but that just makes the breath of fresh air seem even more beautiful.
I’m ready to step outside the boat and take a deep breath, but I’m waiting. I’m trying to learn patience. Trying to slow down and appreciate the here and now. Allow myself to bloom where I am planted. Let God work on me so I’m ready for what He has in store for me.
There’s a rainbow in my future. And it’s going to be beautiful.
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