Turtle

For several weeks I have been thinking about turtles. This often happens. I will have a tiny inkling there is a tidbit somewhere in a thought, but it may take weeks for all the pieces to fit together. 

I read today an Indonesian fable about a turtle that could fly.  He would hold a stick in his mouth and would be carried aloft by geese. On one particular flight from the ground he heard “aren’t those geese brilliant.” Upon hearing the praise going to the geese, he cried out, “it was my idea.” Immediately he lost his grip.

Reflecting on this fable, I thought about us as Christians.  It is my desire to soar for our Father.  With Jesus and the Holy Spirit uplifting us we can truly soar.  Far too often we take our eyes off them and lose our grip.   Pride, self confidence and even sin can cause us to lose our focus.

Next I thought about the race with the turtle and the hare.  The turtle kept his focus and the hare took his ease.  God has a race for each of us.  The finish line is obscure, but the path He lays before us is our destiny.  Often when the path is cluttered with obstacles we pull our head into our shell like Mr. Turtle.  His shell is his protection from outside forces.  Jesus and the Holy Spirit are our protection from the onslaught of the enemy.  God’s path for us is not always smooth but in every instance He is sufficient.  Soaring for Jesus may seem impossible but I am convinced it is His plan for each of us. Hold tight to Jesus and never look down.  Keep your eyes on Him and take the most adventuresome ride of your life.

Hebrews 12:1 “Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.”