It All Comes Down to This...

After a week of studying the familiar story of Noah, I challenged my students to think about characteristics of Noah that we should emulate.  They came up with "patience" and "obedience," which were two that I was hoping they would notice (and maybe demonstrate in the classroom?!).  Two students also offered "bravery" and "perseverance."  We listed seven or eight things to learn from Noah, and I decided to call on one last student...

3rd Grader: "Miss Brown, I think it all comes down to the fact that Noah didn't worry."
Me:  "Wow, that's a good thought!  Can you explain that a little more?"
3rd Grader: "Well, when God told Noah to build the ark, he just built it.  He didn't worry about where he would get all that wood or how the animals would come to him.  He just did it.  And when he was on the boat, he didn't worry about how to take care of all those animals or when the storm would finally be over.  He just kept trusting God."

I was so impressed by his answer -- I hadn't thought of it that way ever before!  Now, I don't know if Noah had doubts or frustrations.  The Biblical account doesn't tell us about all of Noah's emotions or thoughts.  But according to Genesis, Noah did "all that the Lord commanded him to do" -- no questions asked, no excuses made.

What if we didn't obey out of obligation, but rather complete trust?  What if we did "all that God commanded [us] to do" because we really believed that God knows what He's doing?  I think our lives would be filled with a lot less worry and far more purpose.