Turtle Rescuer

The highway was buzzing with Friday evening traffic when I saw the pick up truck on thefar shoulder with its hazards on and a guy standing by it as I waited to make a left turn.

When he started to walk purposely down the shoulder and scanning the road, I thought, “He must be out of gas, looking for a hub cap, or something.” Looking ahead, I saw the hubcap in the outside lane. As he ran toward it, it moved and I saw it was not a hubcap, but a large snapping turtle, determinedly crawling across four lanes of traffic!

The guy snatched up the now distressed and flailing turtle, stopped traffic, and carried it to safety and a better place on the other side. As I watched this happen, I whooped my approval, thought about Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan, and said to myself, “I want to be more like that guy!” then completed my left turn.

The next day, I kept thinking about how the turtle’s flailing legs and neck were sure signs of distress over suddenly “being ungrounded” and in an unfamiliar and vulnerable position.  All the turtle sensed was danger, even though a greater being, with clearer perspective, and benevolent purpose had caused the short-term distress for its safety and care.

That’s when I was reminded, while it is good to be more like the turtle-rescuer, it is also good to be less like the turtle. We need not stress or panic like the turtle when life gets ungrounded & unfamiliar, or feels risky & vulnerable. It just could be that a greater being, with clearer perspective, and benevolent purpose is in the midst of our situation trying to help us get to a better place– physically, emotionally, relationally, spiritually, etc…

Let’s trust & lean into Jesus, the proven, benevolent rescuer of us turtles!