Tuesday afternoon brought excitement with a sudden shower of hail. My husband, children, and I threw on our jackets and shoes and stood on the porch to see the front yard get pelted with little balls of ice. Watching the hail pile up in the birdbath and along the edges of the front walkway brought some novelty to a now-routine day of working and schooling from home.
While I was standing on the porch with my little family watching the weather, the story of Noah from the book of Genesis came to mind. Much of how we usually relate to the story of Noah focuses on the sensational weather. In Sunday school, we highlight the animals. After all, the ark was basically a floating zoo! Often, the story is told as a morality lesson about one man’s righteous man’s obedience to God. These are all valid points to focus on, but now what strikes me most is that Noah and his family sheltered in isolation on board their ark for a very long time. They waited and waited until the waters abated and the ark ran aground on Mt. Ararat. Eventually, Noah and his family peered out of the windows to see signs that change was coming. Soon, they would be able to leave the ark. How fantastic it would be to step out on dry land again!
As we approach the year anniversary of Sonoma County’s Covid restrictions, like Noah sending out the doves after a year on the ark, we are beginning to see signs of change. Vaccines are coming. Plans are being made for children to go back to school. Excitement is building as people anticipate seeing family and friends again. However, with the prospect of venturing out into the world again, I’m finding that my mind is turning towards the immensity of all that has been lost. I wonder if Noah and his family ever grieved what they lost in the flood? Scripture doesn’t tell us how Noah and his family felt during and after the flood. We just know that after Noah
disembarked, he made an offering to the Lord. Then, God set a rainbow in the sky as a sign of God’s covenant with all the earth.
Maybe you, like me, are experiencing grief despite your gratitude for the signs that the storm of Covid seems to be ending? And maybe you can’t quite see the rainbow yet? That’s OK. The rainbow is only part of the story, anyway. As we look to Jesus this Lent, we trust that God journeys with us through the darkest of times. God’s promises are made known to us most fully through Jesus Christ. We are not alone in our grief. Have faith. Easter is coming!