I wonder if Noah and his family felt much the same as we do after spending the spring of 2020 in social isolation.
I wonder if they felt cramped, lonely and just a little anxious as they wondered when their world would once again return to normal. I wonder if Mrs. Noah was undone by the smell of the animals, the limited choice of food and the constant roaring of the lions.
"But God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the cattle that were with him in the ark; and God caused a wind to pass over the earth, and the water subsided. Also the fountains of the deep and the floodgates of the sky were closed, and the rain from the sky was restrained; and the water receded steadily from the earth, and at the end of one hundred and fifty days the water decreased" (Gen. 8:1-3, NASB).
I can hardly keep from weeping as I read the first four words of this chapter of new beginnings: "But God remembered Noah" (Gen. 8:1a). What reassurance is found in that quartet of words! How they describe the heart of God toward His people!
God never forgets even one of His own, which means that you, my friend, are not forgotten, no matter how vicious the storm that has ravaged your life. You have been on God's mind throughout the entire ordeal, and there will come a moment when the floodwaters of your storm will begin to subside in the light of His grace.
After spending well over 350 stuffy, endless days in the ark with lions and hyenas and magpies, Noah and his family were nearly free to begin living on dry ground once again. I can just imagine their delight, can't you?
As the tossing of the ark upon the violent floodwaters gradually became a gentle rocking motion as the waters calmed, and then as the righteous passengers felt the ark jolt to a stop upon some type of ground, I wonder if a cheer went up from within the sailing vessel!
I can only suppose that the women began to weep for joy, knowing that their days within the dark and damp floating zoo were about over. Surely, there was no sweeter moment in Mrs. Noah's life than the moment that was recounted in Scripture with these words: "and the water subsided" (Genesis 8:1c). Finally, she would be free of the smell of manure and the bad breath of donkeys. Finally, she would be able to plant a garden and hang her laundry out to dry. At long last, the storm was over, and she would be free to live again.
No storm lasts forever—even though it might feel as if your particular storm has been never-ending. If you are weary due to the length of the deluge that has poured into your life, look for signs of a new beginning. Listen for the sounds of a peaceful new day. Observe what is going on around you and begin to expect to experience the cessation of that which has rocked your life and your world.
As you become aware of the closing chapter of your storm, take time to rejoice in all God has done for you in the midst of it. Don't miss the opportunity to gulp in the fresh air of the new beginning God has provided just for you. Plan what you will do now that the tempest is past and find delight in the world you have been given.
Don't allow what the storm has ravaged to define your life in this new season. Move beyond the despair, the discouragement, and the darkness and open your heart and life to the new day God has prepared for you.
Just as God remembered Noah, God has also remembered us during these days of the pandemic. We are always on His mind and in His heart. You can be assured that He will certainly accomplish what concerns us.
Our God is able to work even this together for good and for His glory! 
Carol McLeod is an author and popular speaker at women's conferences and retreats, where she teaches the Word of God with great joy and enthusiasm. Carol encourages and empowers women with passionate and practical, biblical messages mixed with her own special brand of hope and humor. Carol has written 11 books, including Significant, StormProof and Guide Your Mind, Guard Your Heart, Grace Your Tongue. Her teaching DVD The Rooms of a Woman's Heart won the Telly Award, a prestigious industry award for excellence in religious programming.
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