Noah Senior and Junior

Today is Noah's eighth birthday. This is from December 30, 2014.
I'm back, leaving Wichita at 2 AM this morning amid snow flurries but no accumulation. My eleven days with my brothers' families, punctuated by a two day excursion to Oklahoma, were over too quickly. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I was able to spend time with the smallest ones in my clan, crossing paths with the two youngest for the first time. Yesterday, all the adults but me went shopping so I was entrusted with the care of Noah and Addy, the children of my nephew, Seth, and his awesome wife, Lauren. Addy was napping as eighteen month girls often do, so that left me and five year old Noah with the run of the place. While Noah and I share some DNA, we don't share the same talents. He is a pint sized engineer. He loves taking stuff apart- in the upper shot, he is disassembling a worn out VHS player and explaining the process to me as he progressed. In contrast, I require others to put their phone numbers in my cell because I have yet to master that skill. After taking apart the tape player, he wanted to begin construction of the LEGO Fire Station he received for Christmas. We found a spot and went to work. By we, I mean I opened the numerous bags containing the 300 pieces of the set and sorted them into piles by color and Noah set out to construct his masterpiece. I was amazed how he could glance at the box and know which piece he was looking for. When I said my goodbyes last night, the fire station was taking shape. Rome wasn't built in a day...and I just pray Noah can get along without my expertise.

For once in my life, I'm working ahead. This evening in Houston, I sat down in my apartment and read Day # 3, or January 3rd, in my One Year Bible. Guess what my reading covered? God's call to Noah to build an ark to save the world. I found several things very interesting as I became reacquainted with the narrative in Genesis. God's instructions, at least as recorded, were not very specific. Also, nowhere is it stated that anyone, including his three sons, helped in the least to build this 450 foot floating zoo. But do you know why God chose Noah to save the human race? It wasn't because he was an architect- it was simply because Noah was righteous. Maybe Noah wasn't skilled at all and had to redo much of his work. I've heard countless times that people ridiculed Noah but the Bible never says that. I do think he could envision the finished product while his friends and neighbors and family only could see a very big pile of gopher wood. And Noah's steadfastness in finishing his project is the reason you and I are around tonight to discuss a Lego toy. My great nephew will finish his project, too. When I looked at the pile of stuff spread out over a formerly unoccupied piece of carpet, I just saw several mountains of colorful plastic pieces. But Noah sees an amazing creation with every bell and whistle a little boy could dream of; he just has to put it together..... and he will. That's why guys like the two Noahs change the world. It's my job to re-tell their story.

Applicable quote of the day:

I think when you are named Noah, you are destined for a certain way of life.

Noah Wyle

God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1

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E-mail me at steve@hawleybooks.com