Was Noah's Ark a Real Ship?

I am in no way putting down the the writings in the Bible but only trying to make sense of this one in my own mind.

Was Noah’s Ark a real ship or is this writing in the Bible meant to be more than just a nice story?

QUESTIONS:
Noah’s Ark, as it is written in the Bible, was 450 feet long, 75 feet wide and three stories tall. It took just under 100 years to build. It would have taken about 100,000 trees to complete the project. Could 4 men (Noah and his 3 sons) cut that many trees by themselves? Could there have be that many trees in the area. Would the local residents have allowed Noah to clear-cut all their shade without objection? After falling the trees, Noah and his son’s would have to cut the tree trunks into boards. All this cutting was by hand of course as there were no chain saws or even electricity. What about the 1 million nails that would have been required. Who make those and where did all that iron come from? What about the pitch to seal between the boards? Pitch comes from Pine and most of their trees were Palm.
Noah was 500 years old when he started building the Ark and 600 years old when the storm began. There is nothing written about the son’s living long lives. They would have been over 100 when they entered the Ark. And what about there wives? Would they still be able to have children? Remember the story of Sarah in the Bible. She was 90 when she had her first son and that was noteworthy.
And then comes the animals. Could 7 of each species fit on such a boat? What about the years worth of food that would have to be gathered? Where did all that food come from? Many animals only eat certain foods like the Panda Bears. What about the carnivorous species? What kind of meat did they eat? Many, many questions if this did indeed happen as written...
POSSIBLE ANSWERS:
I believe the story of the Arc is just that, a story. It has tremendous meaning and can teach us valuable lessons if we choose, in my opinion, to uncover the real reason this story has been handed down to us through the years. I don’t see it as more of a parable. Parables were used in that day to had down stories as there wasn’t the printed word as yet. Native Americans use stories to hand down their history. Jesus taught in parables, which he knew would be understood many generations later.

I now believe that I am the Arc! I need to get ready for life’s storms that lie ahead. I may not see them now but they are always there. Difficult times are coming so I need to gather all the spiritual strength that I can right now. Spiritual strength is the way through any tough difficulty. My spiritual strength is the animals or you might say my intuition. I need to gather into my Ark 7 of each clean animal (the number 7 means ”personal completeness”). A clean animal represents an intuitive answer to a particular problem. All the solutions that I need for every situation are with me in the Ark. Noah also brought in 2 of every unclean animal. The number 2 in the Bible represents “opposites or choices”. This means that my answers may have many different solutions.

And then there was the Unicorn. We loved the Unicorn. The Unicorn was left behind to show that I do not have all the answers. Problems will arise that I see no earthly solution for and I will have to turn to God for guidance and direction.

When the storm comes and the water begins to rise, the time will come for me to go inside my Arc. Here is where the answers are kept. The answers are not on the outside. That is where the problems are. As the waters rise I am to look inside and to God for the answer. Noah’s Arc only had one window and it was at the very top looking upward. If my ark has windows on the side as well then I will continue looking at the problem and the problem will continue to grow. For Noah the problem was the water. Continually looking at the rising water is not trusting that God will provide. I need to focus inside on prayer (solution) and forget about what is going on the outside (problem).

When the time is exactly right the Arc will come at rest and my feet will be planted on firm ground with a new appreciation for life and that particular problem will be no more.

The Arc is huge because my troubles can appear to be huge to me but the answer is always very small and direct. Focus on God.

In today’s news we read a lot about the date December 21 2012. On this day the Mayan calendar ends and it is predicted that the world may end as we know it and possibly by a worldwide flood. Now is the time to start building my Ark and gathering the animals. What would happen if I build my Ark and the rains don’t come? I will have a more positive way of thinking and a better way of addressing whatever life has in store for me. If that is the true time for the end of time then I will be ready.

I am building my Arc as we speak. What are you doing?

John L - 2010