Did you know that half the people on Noah’s ark were women? But what do we know about them and what can we learn from the uncertainty, change and new beginnings they must have been confronted by, all issues that echo for us today?
In her inspiring, honest and compelling book, Not Knowing but Still Going, Jocelyn-Anne Harvey leads us through the Genesis account of Noah, exploring the truly unprecedented uncertainties he and his family faced. With a particular focus on the four women who entered the ark, she explores how their journey can help us with the feeling of ‘not knowing’ in our lives, asking and answering many of the questions that can challenge us when we are faced with uncertainty:
- How can we progress when we can’t feel any movement?
- What can we do with ‘the want in the wait’?
- How can we respond to the ‘suddenlies’ in life?
- Do women have key roles to play?
Jocelyn-Anne comments, ‘We all face different shapes and sizes of the unknown in our lives – from what we study or do work-wise, to our personal circumstances. Often these kinds of situations demand we have a plan, demand we know the answers, and yet all too often we feel far from knowing – we just don’t know what to do.
‘Before God forewarned Noah about the Flood we don’t know what his family had planned for their lives, but this sudden change presented them with a great challenge – the wide open expanse of uncertainty. And though Noah was busy with the role given to him, what about the women? Where were they in this journey? Looking afresh at this story, especially through the lens of its women, has given me encouragement and hope as I have encountered, and still encounter, “not knowing” in my life.
‘And my hope is that whatever the shape of the unknown my readers face in their lives, they will be encouraged through a greater understanding of the One who does know and deeply cares for us all – just as He did for the women on the ark.’
Blending biblical reflections with personal experiences of God’s faithfulness in uncertain times, Jocelyn-Anne offers profound encouragement to keep going and to find refuge in the Lord while the way becomes clear.
Not Knowing but Still Going by Jocelyn-Anne Harvey (ISBN: 9781912726394) is published by Instant Apostle and is available on 21st April 2021 from bookshops and online retailers. Christian Ministry, paperback, 256pp, £9.99.