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