Uncertain Obedience

So I started this whole reading through the bible in a year thing. I'm working on being more disciplined about reading the bible and prayer this year and I thought that the least I could do was follow one of these time line thingys each day (and maybe other reading but at least and such truck).
It's day 4, and I'm playing catch up because that's how good I am at personal discipline. I mean, give me a task, ask me to organize massive people and events and I'm on like donkey kong. Ask me to balance my checkbook or call to get something in my house repairs and it will be about 6 months before I remember that I was supposed to do something. What the crap is that about?
But I digress...
The way this whole time line thingy works is I have a section to read out of the old testament and a section out of the new testament. The old reading is longer, because the old testament is longer. I got into the Noah's ark story today, and in case you don't know the story then you can read about it here.

I was reading the story that I've heard a billion times before (and possibly...sang about?) and this little seed of a memory from a sermon floated up and I started wondering how long it took Noah to build the ark. It says in Genesis 7:4 that the Lord told Noah that he was to take his family on the ark because in 7 days time he would release the flood.
So Noah built this ark, that according to the notes in my study bible says in modern measurements, the ark would have been around 450 ft long, 75 ft wide and 45 ft high. There were 3 decks, a roof and a crap ton of animals and food. Even today it couldn't be built in one day. Please note: I can't remember who gave the sermon, I always say it's Ben but I've been listening to a ton of podcasts from various churches, but I'm pretty sure that this is what was said in the sermon. I just can't link it for you.

But imagine what that was like for Noah and his family. Building this ark in the shining sun with not a cloud in the sky, building a boat. That's sort of crazy. His neighbors wander over and ask him what he's doing, what do you think Noah said? "Well God found favor in me, and told me that he's going to drown everyone and everything except my family and I and some animals. What's up with you today?" While I was reading it today I just wondered what that was like. Not to mention when God told Noah to get on the ark because in 7 days he was going to flood the earth. Were the animals already on the ark? Did he spend the 7 days organizing them and then sprinted onto the ark at the last minute as the first raindrops began to spill? I mean that was probably pretty weird to his neighbors too. What do you think they were doing while he was boarding the ark and walking all those animals on there? How did he even get all the animals around, male and female one of each? I don't even know if I could identify the right genitalia of many many animals!

It all just made me think about the times that I've hesitated, turned back, or just acted like I didn't hear God because I wondered what "the neighbors" would think. Not neighbors per say, but my point remains.
I can live with a lot of uncertainty, in fact it would seem most days that I thrive on it....as long as it's on my terms of course. I can live with quiet, private uncertainty. The kind that doesn't run the risk of making me look foolish in front of anyone but Gertrude and Agnes.
It made me think of a quote from the book Under the Overpass: Mike Yankoski that says,

What would I do during my day or in my life for God if I wasn't concerned with what I wear, what I ear, where I sleep, what I own, what people think of me, or what discomforts I face?

I know that God is calling me to be more obedient in time alone with him, to be consistent about real time set aside daily to read the bible. It's a good habit, it's good practice. It forms a foundation and wellspring to draw from that I don't even realize where it's coming from. Like quotes from books and thoughts from sermons that well up and connect across months and years what I read daily even when it doesn't seem to really connect in the moment will be brought back and float up at the time it's needed the most. That's the funny thing about God, he's got all these plans for us and we only know part of them. But I digress...again.

All this has got me wondering what my ark is, what is it that would make me seem foolish to people that I'm refusing to do for fear of what they would think? Is it an action or is my ark just the words I speak to people, what I say and how (if) I say it?
What's your ark?