Building a Little Ark in a Frightening World

Last updated on: October 17, 2026 at 4:39 pm by Kelley Rouland M.A.

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Building a Little Ark in a Frightening World 2026-10-17T16:39:20-06:00 Kelley Rouland M.A.

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This past Shabbat, we read about Noah. I love this story. The flood, the animals, the brand-new start- I can’t get enough of it. But this time, the ark stayed with me. I thought about how comforting it must have been to have somewhere to go, somewhere to bring the people and animals you loved while the rain came down outside. A place to keep everyone safe while the storm passes. I love that thought, although building an ark would be quite a project. Some days, getting dinner on the table feels like enough of an accomplishment. But I think there are smaller ways we can offer that same feeling of safety. Perhaps we can start with what we already have on hand.

For me, that is often a pencil.

As I work on my children’s book, I think about what a child might feel when opening its pages. I want there to be Warmth. A little wonder. Someone to root for. I want a child who doubts herself to find a reason to try again. A story cannot keep every difficult thing from happening. Still, it can become a place a child returns to when she needs courage. That matters to me.

So does the feeling of a welcoming home.

There is something comforting about a pot simmering on the stove, a dog sleeping nearby, and a table with room for another person. These are simple things, but they help me picture the kind of world I want to help create. I love the peace of being home. I wish everyone had somewhere they could settle in and feel comfortable. I believe in imagining that kind of world, and I can help a little by making someone feel welcome in mine. There is always room for another plate at the table.

Within Jewish life, we have so many opportunities to practice this kind of care. Shabbat repeatedly invites us to pause, gather, and make room for holiness in our homes. Even after a difficult week, we can begin again. And lately, with so much fear and pain surrounding Jewish life, I think we need those places. We need somewhere to bring our tired hearts. Somewhere we can be Jewish without having to explain ourselves. Somewhere there is room for laughter, too.

I want to remember that joy deserves tending. Our children deserve stories and songs, and memories of being loved. We deserve those things ourselves.

Of course, the image of an ark also makes me ask: who have I made room for?

It would be easy to make a comfortable little world and become so busy tending it that I stopped noticing anyone outside. That is something I want to be careful about. A peaceful home can give us the strength to open the door. I don’t always know what to say when someone is having a hard time. But I can put on some coffee and sit with them for a while. I know I’ve appreciated having someone do that for me. We don’t really know what another person’s day has been like. I’d like to remember that when I’m busy or distracted myself. That gives me something to work on this week. Who have I been meaning to call? Have I made time to listen? I want the warmth I love so much in my home and my stories to come through in the way I treat people, too. Hope has room in that work, even when I cannot see very far ahead.

Perhaps your talents are different from mine. Perhaps you cook, teach, garden, sew, or know just when to call a friend. Whatever skills we have, we can use them with love. I will keep drawing my little star, making room at the table, and trusting that these small offerings have a place in the world.

What might you build today?

Shalom to all!

Want to read more from the Joyful Jew? Click the link below.

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About Kelley Rouland

Kelley Rouland earned a master’s degree in media communication from the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, where she researched the effects of reality television on young females. She went on to spend nearly a decade working in the radio news business as a reporter and anchor. After writing and delivering thousands of news stories, she decided to use her skills to inspire. She now works freelance writing motivational, spiritual, and religious stories that inspire readers. You can read more about the author here.

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