Years ago, I owned a turtle named "Moses". We had a special relationship that scared my family because I would hold Moses right in front of my face and kiss him. They were always afraid Moses would, as most reptiles do, jerk his tongue out and sting me. But he never did! He crawled on my chest and nestled in my neck, feeling safe with me. I loved Moses more than I can describe.
I took him outside with me every day, allowing him to get sunshine and eat bugs as I trimmed my trees and hedges. The back yard was totally fenced in, so I never dreamed he would get out. But the inevitable happened one day. Moses was no where to be found, and I cried for weeks.
About eight months later, I was digging weeds out of the flower bed in the front yard, and my shovel hit something hard. Thinking it a rock, I reached down to get it with my hands and was shocked beyond belief to find dear old Moses under the dirt! How had he survived without me to feed him?
It's amazing how arrogant we humans can be! God created turtles to survive on their own to the ripe old age of 50 or 60 years of age! He "programmed" each species to survive without the help of human beings. Yet I, in my arrogance, thought God needed me to help Him out with His plan!
I learned a lot from Moses after that. I learned how awesome our mutual Creator is! There is nothing that slipped by Him when He was creating all creatures great and small -- no detail He wasn't aware of!
I learned how valuable hibernation is. Just look at the seasons God created: Spring bursts forth with new life only because of the root growth during the "barren" season of Winter.
I learned to hold possessions much looser. Possessions can be lost, or they can die, or they can obstruct my view of God Almighty.
I will always remember Moses and our unique relationship. To this day, I have a wonderful "turtle collection" on my furniture to remind me that in the fairy tale, it was the focused slower creature that won the race. I will always be grateful for the lessons I learned from loving Moses.
(c) 2007 April Lorier | Related Articles
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