Genesis 8:1: “But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded.”
Life on board the ark was unusual to say the least – animals and humans crammed on board a ship week upon week, month upon month. There was not much to do, except taking care of the animals. The animals had to be fed first thing in the morning and at the end of the day, before the family retired for the night.
Now the flood waters had risen above the mountain peaks and the world was completely immersed in water, as far as the eye could see. Everybody on board the ark was hoping and praying for the rains to stop.
And then it happened. Noah and his family woke up one morning and instead of hearing the steady drumbeat of raindrops hitting the ark it had become eerily quiet. Noah ran all the way to the upper deck as fast as his feet would carry him. The animals sensed the change in air pressure and began to make noises. The apes were gibbering while the bears woke up and growled. The birds were twittering, the Giraffes bleating and the frogs were croaking – it was an exceptional animal choir. Reaching the top, Noah could see the roof window revealing patches of blue sky. The clouds were almost gone! His sons were scoping out the weather change. “The sun is coming out!” Ham, Shem and Japheth were so excited. “Are the girls up? They need to see this.”
A steady wind began to blow after the rains had stopped and the waters receded rapidly. With their ship still afloat, the passengers of the ark did not notice much of a difference until the day they hit solid ground on the mountain slopes of Ararat. Noah decided to wait a month before releasing a raven and a dove, but the birds returned almost immediately. “Patience!” said Noah to his wife when he saw her disappointment. “We have waited so long for this day, we can wait another month.”
Expectancy was in the air. Soon they would be able to leave the ark for good. “God is amazing”, Noah said to his family. “In the palm of His hand He has carried us through the storm.”
Outside the ark the sun sank below the horizon, turning the skies and the water into deep purple. Another day on board of the ark came to a close.