Two turtles were crossing the road. (This sounds like a joke opening but it is a real thing.) It was “a surprise gift” after our birthday lunch celebration. Missy, a best friend, was driving me home when we saw the two turtles at the same time. She stopped the car so as not to run over the medium-sized, first turtle that was half-way across the road, in our pathway.
The second, a slightly bigger turtle was standing still at the edge of the road, off the road to our left. He seemed human-like, like a sentinel on guard and watching. This turtle had its head high, craning, even stretching his neck upwards, while turning his head one way and then the other. Intentional—yet hesitant; determined—yet fearful, he had yet to take one step onto the road.
This scene was put before us, like a stage, yet appeared an interlude to our celebrations. We watched intrigued, interested and maybe a bit impatient to see them cross over and be safe.
The first was moving fast, about three-fourths across the road—fast for a turtle. We wondered if the first was calling “Come On” to the second, if only we could have heard their conversation.
The second, a bigger turtle, began to move—awkward but in quick, uneven strides. In this wobble we noticed it was either crippled or missing a front leg! Wounded. Nevertheless, moving. Its struggle to overcome endeared us at once. We sat still, mesmerized, at this “moment of bravery to overcome”.
The first turtle was now on the other side. The second turtle was almost halfway across when a BIG Jeep vehicle came roaring around the corner to the straight away where we were halted. We both gasped. We hoped the driver would stop once he saw the turtle.
He didn’t stop but he did not hit the turtle either. His truck “straddled” the turtle without his wheels hitting it!!
Nevertheless, both turtles simultaneously went into their shells. It was as if they were awaiting their death. Completely powerless to protect themselves from the huge vehicle. The roar of the engine alone must have seemed like an invading army’s extermination tank to them; they waited inside their shells. Their shells would have been no protection, but what else could they do?
The man driving appeared “cool, college-aged, and uncaring”. He raced above and around the turtle like an obstacle to avoid, an unwanted distraction. He refused to look our way as he passed by. Our eyes bore into him with our unspoken questions. “Could you not have stopped and spared a minute? Did you have to come that close to the turtle with your tires?”
At least he didn’t kill either turtle, we consoled ourselves.
Our eyes returned to the turtle in the middle of the road. The truck tire had just missed it on the side toward its destination. This had caused the turtle to turn back to its starting point! Back to safety but frantic, heading in the wrong direction, away from its mate and the nearby lake. Courage to try again seemed lost.
I wanted to go get this turtle to carry him across the road to his mate. I didn’t. I wonder if I should have? The turtle was alive and moving fast away from us.
Pondering on these moments, what are your takeaways?
I thought about how decisions can be based on our past and affect our present and future. Woundings and loss can slow us down or waylay us completely. Sometimes this is tantamount to giving up or returning to our safe starting points. Status quo. Not going forward again can seem wise. Overly cautious hesitation can effect the outcome. Like a tank roaring down our pathway, people or things can threaten to crush our lives just when we choose to go forward. A close call on the side of our destination can turn us back to the starting point and away from those traveling with us!
So many lessons in these few moments with these two turtles.
At the time this happened, I was studying The Book of Joshua and how Israel felt like grasshoppers among giants but Joshua and Caleb believed In God and believed GOD would protect and fight and provide for them to bring victory and bring them into the promised land and their inheritance! The LORD brought the victory and increase for the nation through TWO MEN, Joshua and Caleb. These two men feared, served, loved, trusted and obeyed The LORD. Their faith in God and fortitude and finish in faithfulness to GOD is admirable and our example.
I wondered if God was giving me a picture that I was acting like the second turtle and might miss what he had for me? Or was he giving me a commission to be that first turtle and inspire and encourage the wounded among us to cross over and overcome their fears by faith? There are other lessons too. Pondering these lessons are gifts of consideration to me, I hope they are to you also!
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Several days after seeing “our two turtles” Missy saw and then sent me the below article from the Elijah List at https://www.elijahlist.com/words/display_word.html?ID=20957
