Ark Building 101

Step # 3
Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him

Genesis 6:22
So Noah did everything exactly as God had commanded him.

Genesis 7:5
So Noah did exactly as the LORD had commanded him.

"It's hot!," thought the old man.
"I don't know if I can do this."
Day after day.
Hour after hour.....
Board upon board, peg upon peg, it seemed as though it would never end.
"How long have I been at this?" he thought to himself.
"Is it worth it? Is it really worth all this work?"
He stopped to drink some water his wife had brought him.
His sons joined him in the break and even though no words were shared between the men, he could see it in the eyes of his sons. Doubt and confusion.
Wiping the sweat from his eyes with the sleeve of his garment, the old man slowly lowered himself to the ground, finding some comfort in the shade of the huge ark they were constructing.
"I know that what we're doing seems foolish at this moment. I know that our neighbors and even relatives think I have lost my mind, but I tell you that I am simply following the directions that were given to me by God."
He wasn't sure that his words brought any comfort to his sons, but he knew that he'd spoken the truth.
If they wanted to live......
Then the steps must be taken to build an ark.
Destruction was coming.
That was a given.
Safety depended on Noah working the steps to build the ark.
Here on this day, it all seemed foolish and for nothing.
There were no clouds in the sky. It was hot and the sun was beating down like never before.
But still the words of God rang in Noah's ears...."Build the ark! Build the ark! Take the steps necessary to save yourselves."
Day chased day as the work continued.
Some days were easy and there was joy in the task.
Some days their attention was drawn to other places and the work seemed to drain the very life out of them.
But they followed the steps that God had laid down.
Days gave way to weeks, which counted up to years.
The steps continued.
Then it happened.
A single drop of rain fell and landed on Noah.
He stopped and turn his face toward the sky.
Preparations had been completed on the ark.
It was loaded and ready.
His family had already boarded and he was making his way up the ramp when the drop had fallen.
Rain!
Noah knew that the work had been worth it.
Through the steps, Noah had saved himself and his family.

Just as Noah had turned his life and will over to the care of God, God in returned provided protection and guidance from the coming destruction.
Our journey through the Twelve Steps provided the same protection from the storm of relapse and using.
We build an ark of safety as we make our way down through the steps, under the guidance of God's Holy Spirit, we are moving on in our relationship with our higher power, Jesus Christ.
There will be days that you'll want to discard the step work.
There will be days of doubt and maybe even fear.
But realize that destruction can overtake you if give in and walk away from those steps.
It is worth it.
Don't wait till the "rain" is beating down to realize you've waited too long.
God is there!
Turn to  him.
It isn't about you doing this in your own strenght or willpower. You can't.
It's simply about receiving a gift from God.
His loving instruction and guidance on how to safely navigate the oceans of this world and not crash on the hidden rocks and traps that are out there.

God on you....
mb