Pressure Cooker

On that very day Noah and his sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth, together with his wife and the wives of his three sons, entered the ark. They had with them every wild animal according to its kind, all livestock according to their kinds, every creature that moves along the ground according to its kind and every bird according to its kind, everything with wings. Genesis 7:13, 14

Spending vacations, weekends and other events with extended family can be a real challenge, especially when it is your extended family. Personalities and agendas can clash (or worse) with what our own expectations may be. Recently, I spent a weekend with my husband's family at an out-of-state wedding. Traveling together, staying in the same hotel and spending all day together for 3 days can sound like fun, but does not necessarily always end up as fun. By Sunday, I was ready to go home. Nothing horrible happened, no fights broke out and nobody argued, but just the stress of living together with different people can place added strain on everyone. Just making a decision about where to eat can lead to a fight. Thankfully, nothing like this happened, but just not knowing when something might escalate can make everything a little more than tense. We all made it through just fine, but arriving home was great. To be in my own bed, my own shower and making my own choices felt so liberating!

After that, I looked at the passage above with newfound respect for Noah. I cannot imagine the insane pressure he was under and the ridicule he faced just in building the ark. Then, he had to cram all of his family, all the animals in pairs and the supplies needed for their adventure, into a relatively small boat, and just wait for the rain to come and carry them away to who knows where. I am certain the family had more than one argument. I am sure there were slamming doors and bruised egos. The hard work of taking care of the animals and keeping the boat floating probably did not help in diffusing any of the pressure.

Sometimes just getting along with people can be hard work. Strong personalities can get stronger, while weaker people get run over. The same thing happens wherever people gather: church committees, friendships and businesses. As long as were breathing, we generally have to interact with others. Ephesians 4 speaks of how we are to get along with others. Getting rid of anger and bitterness (verse 31), speaking kindly and building each other up instead of tearing people down (verse 29), and being plain old kind to each other (verse 32) is key in making relationships work. As you come into contact with others, especially those with whom you do not necessarily get along with, remember Noah and his family on the ark. They survived! Remember also our call in Ephesians 4, to speak kindly, act compassionately and most importantly: forgive each other. Do your part, and you might inspire others to do their part.

God, help me to control my tongue and my ego. Give me the strength to act kindly towards others, whether they are family, friends or strangers. Amen.

Nikki Hamsher