It’s Time to Build an Ark

I say that facetiously because we certainly need rain and NOT an ark. Today it promises to be 104 degrees plus here in Austin! But, just maybe when I speak of an “ark”, we could be thinking how much we need to feel secure, safe in the ark where God’s presence is there even though this world and our “little” worlds are in chaos.

I assure you – right where we are – is our ark. His name is Jesus. He promises He will never leave or forsake us. In fact, even if the floods of life come, we’ll find security and peace in Him.

I ran across this photo and recalled the play I wrote that included Mrs. Noah (far left). The play was entitled “The Red Carpet Women of the Bible”. Several of us performed the play to a full house and, in fact, we performed it outside the church as well. The play was about some of the Bible women characters and how their faith journeys could be easily applied to our journeys of faith.

I was the Announcer, Kiane Sawyer, and provided the narrative. Left to right in the photo was Mrs. Noah and then our Interviewer, Barbara Walterstein, Delilah, Judge Deborah, Martha, Sarah, Lydia, Widow Mite and I’m on the right end. Our women were amazing and hilarious actresses!

With this blog, I’m focusing on Mrs. Noah and her Ark of Safety! Mrs. Noah entered the stage — swatting at flies and singing “Rain, rain go away!” Barbara Walterstein asked how she survived it all. Mrs. Noah replied: “My hands were full with the beasts, the boys, the smells and the noise. Let’s just say, that little show they call “Survivor” was child’s play compared to the jungle in that ark! And talk about “clean-up”! Whew! It was a madhouse, but I survived. It wasn’t easy. I could have snapped at any time under the pressure. But I had one assurance of knowing that it was all a part of God’s plan. And knowing it was His plan, we came out as the world’s greatest survivors! The key to my sanity through it all was taking it all “one day at a time!” She left the stage singing “Singing in the rain, I’m singing in the rain. What a glorious feeling, I’m happy again!”

I followed her with this message. “Think of it. Mrs. Noah didn’t have a dishwasher, a microwave, or a computer! She couldn’t text or email her friends. She had no bug spray or scented potpourri. There was no praise music to drown out the noises, no Christian TV to occupy her mind, no mall where she could escape.

She was stuck in a smelly, non-air-conditioned, floating zoo! And yet, she managed to keep her sanity to live “one day at a time”, knowing God was with her. We can learn a lot from Mrs. Noah. We, too, have days of chaos, but the Lord knows what every Mrs. Noah is going through at every stage of life. He walks the ark with us each day. There are incredible dangers and temptations in the world, but when a godly Mrs. Noah gets her family “up the ramp and into the ark,” she trains and teaches them, loves, and prays with them, and keeps them from the floods of life by placing them in God’s safekeeping. If God can strengthen Mrs. Noah through it all, He will do the same for us!”

I started this blog talking about our Ark of Safety. As it was for Mrs. Noah and other Bible characters, we have our LIVING Savior Who is ever present in our lives to calm the storms, give rest for our weary souls, ease the pressure of each day’s challenges. We are in God’s loving care in the safety of “His Ark!”