Lately, I’ve very closely identified with the character of Noah. Follow me on this…

•Everyone thought Noah was crazy for building the ark and talking about rain. (What was that?!) Most everyone I know thought I was crazy for having 3 kids in four years, and then, surprise, it was three boys.

•Noah loaded up every kind of animal and then locked himself inside with them. I have three boys that usually act like animals and I’m trapped with them wherever we go: at home, in the car, at a restaurant, etc.

•Once all were on board, the floods came. After my third was born, the floods came. Floods of sickness passed around, activities, sports, fights, different nap times, literal floods of rain (ever spent an entire day locked indoors with three very active boys?!) and floods of exhaustion!

•I can only imagine Noah spent his days trying to keep the animals from all killing each other, constantly feeding them, and cleaning up poop. That’s my day to a tee!

•I don’t think the ark smelled very good. My house normally doesn’t either.

Noah rode the waves, and I’m sure, thought he was going to sink quite a few times. I’m sure he questioned why he was there and if God would really take him to safety. I feel like my ship is going down almost everyday. I’m lucky if I feel like my head is ever above water at all. I don’t know if I remember what well-rested, organized, solid ground feels like. I often find myself questioning if God knew what He was doing putting me in charge of this herd.

Even after the flood water stopped pouring, Noah had to stay on the ark and wait for the waters to go down. And even after these baby and toddler days are over, I will have many more to wade through. I can only imagine what teenage years will be like with these three!

Although Noah probably felt like he was on that ark for an enternity, it wasn’t actually that long compared to the span of his life. And though this part of my life seems to drag on, it really won’t be that long at all (long days, short years, am I right?!).

When Noah finally exited the ark, birds sang and a rainbow appeared. I’m sure I will feel that way when these three are no longer under my roof and I have all my space and time back.

The difference is, unlike Noah, I will want nothing more than to turn around and go back on my ark. I will desperately miss these little animals.