Day 50 - Turtles

One of my favourite seaside places is Hunstanton in Norfolk.

There is just something about it – the sea air, the promenade, the sand, listening and watching the waves and not forgetting those spectacular sunsets. I think I have gone, either on a day out or taken a holiday there, for the last 10+ years.

One of the tourist attractions is the Sealife Centre. It’s not very big, but it does have loads of different fish, sharks, seahorse, rays and penguins.

And then there is Ernie, the Turtle. From what I remember he was ‘rescued’ and his home is now in the ‘Ocean Tunnel’. He is the largest reptile there, he is so graceful as he swims round, occasionally going to the surface for air and food.

Turtles can tell us a lot. They have a shell for protection, they enjoy swimming and can even sleep under water. Turtles are known for their slow and steady pace, when in the water, they don’t rush, don’t get distracted by others rushing round past them, they continue to move forward at their own pace.

Our own faith road could reflect this. If we rush, we could miss something. Moving steadily forward we can carefully go round obstacles that may get in the way. By going steady and at our own pace we can learn and follow the path that God wants us to take.

It’s so easy to get distracted along the way, to follow the way that others lead us, to go the way which we think is best for us, meaning we can take a wrong turn which could result in a backwards step, unlike the turtle who keeps his journey slow and steady and keeps moving forward.

If they can, turtles like to bask in the sun and take a rest. Sometimes we just need to ‘Bask in the SON’. A time for reflection and prayer, a time to spend with God without distractions, a time to listen.

It’s so easy to rush and go headfirst into something. God’s timing for us is perfect even when it seems so slow and we don’t get immediate results. We need to be patient and wait patiently on him.

I love watching Ernie, watching as he gracefully moves around the water, keeping a steady pace, not rushing and not letting anything get in his way.

Maybe we can learn a few lessons from him. We may not always move as fast as we want to, but we can keep moving forward in faith, trusting in God’s provision and protection along the way.

Linda Cooke