As a kid we lived in what seemed to be the middle of no where and the middle of paradise. We had the whole world to run free in. There was Grandpa's Ranch, the old golf course, the trails to the mountain and of course the banks of so many creeks empty and full. As the cool school days of April turned to the warm days of May a kid can get pretty restless. I would sit in class and watch the hand of the clock crawl to a slow motion. So slow it seemed like it was going back wards. Then June would arrive and soon the long days of July and the dog days of August would finally come.
We hit the outdoors before the sun and only come home long after mom turned on the porch light. There was so much to do and see and explore. It never got old especially when you have your brothers and trusty old lab cocoa by your side. We built forts in the trees, played war, tracked the wild animals like a mountain man and fished every chance we got. Late in the summer the black berries hung sweet and no matter how many times the thorns attacked us we still came home with black hands and faces from eating our fill of natures delicious fruit.
The best part of our childhood was when we got our great ideas to be creative. I remember one hot summer day we were bored and decided we should build a raft just like Huck and Tom and we could sail it in our moms Koa pond. We had seen big ships float so no worries about how big it might be we knew it would float. So we gathered railroad ties, old ply wood and a ton of 16 penny nails to build the greatest raft that would ever set sail in that pond. I did not know much about physics, engineering or construction but it looked good.
The biggest challenge was getting to the pond. Talk about heavy. Once we got it on the bank my brother decided he would push it real hard and I would jump on to keep it steady. Great plan! So he pushed, I jumped and I sunk! As I sunk I looked at my brother and he had that You are such an idiot look on his face. There I went me and HMS Hamilton sinking in dirty water and deep black mud that sat on the bottom of the pond. So much for cool and refreshing.
It took many years to try and figure our what went wrong after all Noah built a bigger boat and filled it with every animal under the sun and it floated. But you have to think Noah had a better boat designer, leader and spiritual designer. I had a brother that looked at me like I was crazy. I love that look. He still gives it to me all the time.
Think about this the world was over run by wicked people. The entire population was evil and wicked and people were robbing each other, being rude and and some men no longer opened doors for woman. It was awful. Some people even were texting while they were driving. God looked down and thought this has got to stop!
But God found favor in Noah. Noah was man that was well over 500 year old and he was to tired to be wicked and the whole texting thing??? Noah did not even have a cell phone. So God called out to Noah. That had to be scary There Noah was sitting in the patio drinking lemonade and a booming voice calls out to him. At first he thought I already took out the trash what can she possibly need now?' But then Noah realized it was a real big voice.
So God said to Noah, "I am going to put an end to all the people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both of them and the earth. So make yourself an ark of Cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out. This is how it should be built: The ark is to be 300 cubits long, and 50 cubits wide and 30 cubits high. Make a roof for it, leaving below the roof an opening one cubit high all around. Put a door in the side of ark and make a lower, middle and upper decks. I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth and destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish. But I will establish a covenant with you, and you will enter the ark-you and your sons and your wife and your sons wives with you. You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you. Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive. You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away for you and them."
God asked Noah if he had any questions and Noah said yes 2:
1. Are you sure about this?
2. What is a cubit?
Well God was sure about it and Noah set out for the next 120 years getting ready for the storm. I built a boat in a few hours and it sunk and I ended up stinky and muddy. I am sure Noah had many hard days and I bet the towns people thought he was crazy. Imagine how lonely, scared and worried Noah was but he kept his focus on God and he trusted him. I sure there days he was muddy and wet but Noah was a faithful man.
We all know what happened next. It rained! It really rained. God rained down and all things under heaven was destroyed. But in the end God sent a rainbow to remind us he loves us. This is a story of how God really loves us. I know that may sound crazy to some because God destroyed the earth but he did it because he wanted us to be reminded that we need to turn away from evil and trust in him. In all we do we should seek him and his wisdom and guidance.
You know I started this Blog My Journey to talk about Parkinson's and each day I am reminded that without God My Journey would be a horrible road trip. Take today, I woke up in awful pain. I had not slept much, my body ached and my medicine only made me gag all morning. I could not miss work after all it was the first day of school and I LOVE those kids at my school. They give me energy and hope to fight this battle. I felt like I was in a lonely dark place and I have to admit a little frightened. But remember how Noah must have felt?
What could I do? I laid it all at the cross and asked God to place his shield in front of me. AND HE DID. Was it easy? NO! But it was easier. Why Because I am so loved by an amazing God. I have an amazing support system of family, friends and co workers. Isn't life absolutely AMAZING!
You see everyday we can build a ship that sinks and we can look like an idiot or we can build a ship and have it sink and say "Thank God I did not drowned'. We must remember that in our life there are dark days and there are muddy waters but God is with us.
So tomorrow you might get muddy. But ask God to sail with you and as you do look for me because I will be making my way along the rivers of life and my captain will be God. I will be watching for his promise in the rainbow. He promises to always be there and he is leading the way for me as I make "My Journey."
GOD LOVES YOU AND SO DO I!
Peace Be with you!
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