It’s been one year, and much of the world continues to shelter at home due to COVID-19. Noah sheltered in the ark when the rains began and the flood waters started to rise. Noah’s story isn’t quite like ours, but it offers us nuggets—tidbits of information that spark ideas and have the power to make a difference in our lives today.

Noah was about to leave everything that was familiar and go somewhere new. Change can be exciting because we get to experience new things. But change can also be hard because we don’t know what to expect and are uncomfortable trying things that aren’t familiar. Take comfort in knowing that God is with us through all of life’s changes. Joshua 1:9 says, “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” And if we find ourselves afraid and discouraged, God understands and promises to listen as we talk about those feelings, too.

Noah was asked to build a new home. Just imagine his surprise when he found out it was going to be an ark—a floating barn with enough rooms to house his family and a bunch of animals. If anyone in Noah’s family was used to having a room to themselves, they were now asked to be flexible and share a room with a brother, two cows, two sheep, two bees and a pair of doves. Many families today have been challenged to be flexible just like Noah’s family was. Family rooms in our homes have been converted to classrooms, offices, and lunchrooms. Children and parents are doing their best to graciously share their space, forgive each other when things don’t go as planned, and celebrate when everyone works together well. We thank God for our rearranged homes and we also remember children around the world who are in need of safe and adequate shelter.

We don’t know if Noah knew how long it was going to rain, but he did know that he was safe in the ark and that he had people to share the journey with him. Noah only had to take it one day at a time, and that’s all that we have to do, too. We may not know how long this will last or where we are going to land, but we can be confident that God is on this journey with us . . . just like God was on the journey with Noah.