Mr. Turtle, Part Two

A great friend wrote me yesterday and shared a different perspective on Mr. Turtle. I could totally relate, so here it is in a nutshell:

We are all just a bunch of turtles.

You see, we all tend to stay on the familiar path. We do what we know, because that's what we know to do. We all have our comfort zones. The problem is that what we know isn't always best or even safe. Just like Mr. Turtle, we can find ourselves wandering around in a dangerous spot. And just because an area is well populated doesn't make it any safer either. Jesus warned us about that, saying, "“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many." (Matthew 7:13) If your comfort zone is to be surrounded by people, it's not necessarily the safest place for you. You may end up in the middle of a perilous highway, if that's where the crowd has led you.

Enter the Savior. Strong. Big. Able. Mighty to save. When he lifts you from the ground out of your danger, you might not appreciate it at first. After all, turtles do not like being lifted. They like to feel the ground beneath their feet. They like to take things slow. You may flail your arms and push against Him with your strong feet, not knowing that, if He were to drop you or put you down, you could be crushed into a million pieces and die. No, turtles do not even notice the line of cars approaching. They do not know the impatience of the drivers or how little those drivers care about turtles. Turtles are seldom even aware that they have been spared.

Here's the bottom line: GOD IS FAITHFUL. He always keeps His promises and He always has a reason. In Isaiah 46:4, He tells us,

 "Even to your old age and gray hairs

I am he, I am he who will sustain you.

I have made you and I will carry you;

I will sustain you and I will rescue you."
 

Sometimes what we turtles perceive as tragedy actually saves us from something worse. An accident or an injury may be the very thing that keeps us or removes us from a dangerous path. And in saving us from that danger, our pain becomes blessing.

 

The next time you feel yourself being lifted from your comfort zone, don't panic! Remember who is carrying you and trust that there's a reason for this change of address. Don't fight against Him; He is only saving you from what you can't have the vision to foresee. Just relax and enjoy the scenery from a higher point of view.

 

 

Father, thank You for Your promise to sustain me, to carry me and to rescue me. Thank You that You are still on Your throne, and that nothing escapes Your attention. Thank You for loving this little turtle. And thank You for bearing the scars to remind me how harmful resisting Your love can be.

 
In His saving love,
Amy
 
 
copyright 2010, Amy Wallace