Build A Boat And They Will Come (AKA Noah's Field Of Rain)

So today's blog is a collaboration between Noah's Ark and Field Of Dreams.

One is a true story and the other is a pretty good movie. But they both share a similar theme that we can use as motivation and encouragement.

Kevin Costner's character in Field of Dreams was a corn farmer. He is troubled by regret over the strained relationship he had with his late father; who was an avid baseball fan.

Through a series of events, he was compelled to turn his cornfield into a baseball field. The mantra of the movie was 'if you build it, they will come'.

So he set about to build a baseball field before any baseball players showed up. He believed in his cause and had faith in the right outcome.

And not to give away the spoiler, they did come.

Noah's predicament was a little more serious. His life and those of his family depended on him getting it right.

Now, I'll be honest, I'm not a geographical or Bible historian, but from everything I've read and heard, Noah pretty much started his mini-wooden titanic without a body of water in sight. There was no boat launch nearby. And he certainly didn't have a truck and fifth wheel trailer to haul it to the lake.

But God told him to build a boat. Told him how to build it, the materials to use, the size. He provided everything except the water. To begin with.

Now we know how the story ends, but at the first swing of the hammer, Noah did not. Neither did his nosey neighbors. This wasn't a small backyard project he could keep to himself. This was a huge undertaking. And everyone for miles around heard about crazy Noah and his boat with nothing to float on.

And honestly his family probably gave him a hard time too, at least occasionally. He had to cancel date nights. He missed a few ball games. Forgot to take out the trash. He was laser focused on this task that God had told him would be the only thing to save his family and the animals.

So what's my not-so-subtle point?

Whatever you want to build. Build it!

You don't have to have all the answers. You don't have to know the end result. You don't need the approval of those around you.

If you believe in your dream or cause, have faith and build your boat or ball field.

I struggle with this very thing almost daily. I want to take Hope Boulevard to the next level, but I'm not even sure what that level is. I doubt my influence. I fear rejection. Or even worse; silence.

But my dreams, our dreams, are not coming to us until we prepare for them.

You don't buy furniture for your new house and place it on the empty lot. You build the home first.

You don't just show up on the last day of class and take the exam. You have to study, research, prepare.

And that's the hard stuff most of us don't want to do.

Sure, we want a baseball stadium with cheering fans and a winning ball team.

We want the status of hero, master boat architect and rescuer of every single animal.

But what sacrifices are we willing to make?

The ridicule of others? The financial investment? Sleepless nights? Anxiety? The ever present whispering of "is it all worth it"?

And truly only you can answer that question. But I dare say if you are even reading this, then you believe it is worth it. And you, like me, seek encouragement and motivation to take one more step in the right direction.

So this blog is my one step. My home base. Another board on my boat deck.

Because I'm just crazy enough to believe that if I build my boat, the rain will come.

Are you?

If you are, then we all need to just:

Hope With Abandon

Hope Out

www.hopeboulevard.com