In the last few weeks, I have received a treasure trove of articles, paragraphs and stories to live by from friends and relatives.  I have shared a few of them in my blogs and will share another one today.

In 1990, Robert Fulgham published a simple credo entitled All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.  It was a big hit and was #1 on the New York Times best seller list for an extended period of time. The basic premise of this writing was if adults adhered to the basic rules that were taught in kindergarten, we would have a much-improved world. These rules include sharing, being kind to one another, cleaning up after ourselves and living a balanced life of work, play and learning. Simple wise words to live by.

The writing I received was a take-off of Fulgram’s credo and is entitled Everything I Need to Know About Life I Learned from Noah’s Ark… (author unknown) and I thought it was also worthy of sharing as it has important ideas to remember as well.  It was also clever and fun.  Here it is.

1. Don’t miss the boat.
2. Remember we are all in the same boat.
3. Plan ahead.  It wasn’t raining when Noah built the Ark.
4. Stay fit.  When you’re 600 years old, someone may ask you to do something really big.
5. Don’t listen to critics.  Just get on with the job that needs to be done.
6. Build your future on high ground.
7. For safety’s sake, travel in pairs.
8. Speed isn’t always an advantage.  The snails were on the boat with the cheetahs.
9. When you’re stressed, float awhile.
10. Remember the Ark was built by amateurs.  The Titanic was built by professionals.
11. No matter the storm, when you are with God, there is always a rainbow waiting…

All of the lessons, tongue-in-cheek as some may be, have merit, but of course, #11 is the most important message to remember.  Life may be rough as it certainly had to have been for Noah and his family. Enduring the harassment of their neighbors, the hard work of building the huge boat itself, gathering all those animals together and then sharing their living space with them in a confined area for 40 days and nights could not have been easy or pleasant, but Noah obeyed God’s command and with God’s promise and guidance, they made it through.  At the end they saw the rainbow as promised by God as a sign he would never destroy the earth again by a flood.  It was a sign of new life and hope. 

God’s unconditional love for Noah and his family was demonstrated in this story and the same love is true for all of us in our lives.  All we have to do is follow God’s commandments and ask for his grace.  It’s as simple as the rules we learned in Kindergarten.  God Bless You!

Patty