Day 151: It is family meeting night on the Cruise Line. Shem is blowing his top and ready to blow the top of the ark. He is more-than-ready for a change. “First of all, it stinks in here! And b. (he would always mix his communication content when he was upset) If we pull some of the framing in the used-food storage areas, we can have a raft built in 3 days! It stopped raining a long time ago and you can tell the water is going down!” Ham’s wife chimes in, “I think I agree. It has been a long time”. Meanwhile Japheth talks about how much he actually had “enjoyed” it on the ark. “I mean, where else can you get this kind of peace away from the hustle and bustle of everything?”
At this point Shem screams, “What hustle and bustle? There isn’t anymore!”
Noah steps in to calm the situation and says, “Our day will come. Let’s give it some time. The Lord knows what He is doing.”
For the next 40 days, Shem’s agitation grew and you could now see it in a pained expression on his face.
Day 191: Everyone gathers round while Noah picks out a sweet little white dove. Ham’s wife holds back some tears because he has picked the one that had become something of a pet for her in those long rain-filled days. “Do we have to let her go?” Noah replies, “She may be able to tell us if the time is right”. When the dove left and returned, there were exclamations of disgust from most. But with a big smile on her face, one of them quickly took the tired little bird away from Noah!
Shem fumed, while Noah stroked his white beard and mused, “Now is not the time. We wait.”
Day 198: This time he had to sneak up on the dove, but Noah managed to get her up into the cool morning air. All day long, anticipation was growing. Shem started a little poem. By 11AM, the poem had become a chant and then a song,
“Today is the day, we’re on our way.
enough of this smell – come on, let’s yell! –
Today is the day we touch LAND!”
Ham’s wife contributed a mean two-part harmony while you could actually see Japheth start to tap his foot. Even Noah and his wife swayed to the catchy rhythm.
When the dove appeared in the distance, the others had to restrain Shem from widening the portal and jumping overboard. His cry of agony woke the elephants who in turn stirred up the hyenas. Before long, Shem’s song was preplaced by a resounding shriek from all creation.
Noah sighed and nearly despaired himself. Then he exclaimed, “Look! She has an olive leaf. We are not there yet. But our day is closer than we have ever known. We must not get ahead of God”.
Day 205: Under cover of darkness this time, Noah sent the chosen bird into the air. There were no poems or songs this day. Today there was an unspoken resolve in the stench-filled air where everyone seemed to say, “We are ready, it is almost time”. When the dove did not return, there was a unanimous, “Amen, let it be so.”
This was followed by Noah, saying, “Today we remove the top.” They did, and God said, “Go…”
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Morals of the Story:
- When change is needed, it might stink around here!
- Even when we all agree change is needed, we will process that differently.
- Some are more ready than others, and some of them will lead better than others.
- There is God’s timing and ours. We should not confuse the two.
- Wise change leaders sometimes put trial balloons in the air to see what happens.
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