"How Noah Started Drinking" by Sally Fisher

Throughout the building, the plan seemed perfect:
save the little family; save the helpless beasts.
Noah thought of everything: coils of rope, wine jars,
tubs of extra pitch. Work stayed right on schedule. 
Driving home the last roofing nails
he saw the first big drops slap the shingles.

A small fire inside, the smell of wet hides,
soon the deck tilted, soon the ark lifted
from the backyard dry dock. 
Then he heard the cries.

Drinking at the bow, Noah tried not to think of them.
At last he shouted up through the ***** downpour,
If this is the solution, this is what was wrong!
No answer.
Steady rain.

Noah's little son sat on the deck with the shivers,
refusing to look at his father, or the waters.
Plans cannot always be held to.
Noah started pulling in the swimmers.

Dear God, let me start by saying that I don’t embrace everything in this poem by Sally Fisher as truth, but I think the sentiment and the frustration Noah must have felt with your plan probably isn’t far off. You asked a lot of him and his family. I’ve often wondered if I had been there whether I wouldn’t just as soon have died in the flood as opposed to being one of the survivors.

I’m curious about her line, “If this is the solution, this is what was wrong!” I’ll confess I’ve felt that way before as I’ve worked my way through life and tried to wait on your timing or submit to your plan for me or the ones I love. I can think it when I think of war zones like Ukraine and Israel/Gaza. I can think it when I hear stories about the prevalence of human sex trafficking or trafficking of any kind. Of child abuse or sexual abuse. Domestic violence and emotional abuse. “If this is the solution, this is what was wrong!”

And then I think of you and how sad all of this must make you. How sad you must be to see your creation doing such heinous things to each other. And, yes, it could be said of the story of Noah that it is you doing the heinous thing, but were you or were you just trying to make the heinous things we do stop? And whether anyone reading this believes in the literal story of Noah or not, the principle is the same. We can just be awful to each other.

So your ultimate decision was to not destroy the earth again through flood, but to send a piece of you to us to teach us, empathize with our struggles, sacrifice for us, and then reveal your power. You taught to to pray, serve, persuade, and suffer through your own example.

Father, I can appreciate the trauma Noah and his family went through. It must have been very, very hard. It must have left a lasting impact on all of them. And there are things that have happened to me in this life that have left a lasting impact. Everyone I know has had those things. And this morning, I woke up thinking of one heartache in particular that I have that I would love to see you help resolve. So I ask your mercy. I ask your forgiveness for when I break your heart. I ask for your comfort and your strength. I ask that you teach me and love through me. Holy Spirit, move in me.

I gratefully offer all of this to you in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen