One Hundred Years

One Hundred Years

The cheering has really reduced to a bare minimum. Faithfulness is not in the sprints usually, but in the marathons.  I was watching the Tour de France this morning. There are grand picture moments when the crowds are lining the street and the fans are cheering wildly as the streaks of colored shirts zoom by…but most of the race is just the road, the rider, and the competitors. It is rather quiet, and no one is cheering as the bike’s tires make another rotation and the exhausted legs of the rider go way past the burn.

I was home today from church since Baby boy has a very bad case of ( I no longer think it is cradle cap) I think full blown psoriasis. Poor little guy is clawing his scalp apart and I have been trying to help. Another day and night of feedings and playing; another session trying to make ends meet with bills on the kitchen table. Last night I was angry, very angry for no real defined reason, just the accumulation of lots of reasons.

Ray was called back to work, and then he wasn’t. Let me explain. Over two weeks ago, his work called and said he would be starting work, they would call him….

But God is forever underneath all of the stuff…He is…

While the kids and everyone were at church, and I was home with the babies; God reminded me of NOAH.  You remember him, big boat, lots of water…But Noah was 500 years old when he was told to build the ark. No record of how he was told, he just was. I was thinking about that, his wife had 100 years of seeing every bit of savings and inheritance being poured into this huge monstrosity. Every birthday, it was easy to know what to get dad; just get him another acre of woodland, tar or sap and you were good to go. Swinging hammers and saws, awake early, using all his time with the ark not his children or wife. No vacations were taken, since all the money went to the ark. Of course, I don’t know that, but I know how single minded men can be on a project. But at the end of it all, God had this to say:

“Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation” Genesis 7:1.

“ And God remembered Noah” Genesis 8:1.

 “And God smelled a sweet savor; and the Lord said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake.” Genesis 8:21.

“By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.” Hebrews 11:7

Right before that verse in Hebrews was this one: “But without FAITH it is impossible to please Him.” Hebrews 11:6

It took 100 years, but Noah proved himself FAITHFUL…The marathon, not the sprint…Each hammer swing, each day of work…

That is the label I desire: Faithful…FAITHFUL.