God Beat Me With A Turtle

Hello,

I want to expand on a moment of epiphany I had this Summer.  It was a moment I will likely remember for the rest of my life.  It happened while I biked through the Cuyahoga National Park.

My conversations with God were fierce on my 8-day bicycle trip from Cincinnati to Cleveland and back.  Too many things were going wrong and a lot of it wasn't my fault.  I was angry about it and had been for a very long time.  So we argued.  I don't often win, but I do have a history of lengthening the conversation beyond its necessity.  It probably amuses Him.  I'm okay with that. 

It took an entire day to bike through the National Park.  It was a dirt path, not conducive to my type of bike.  As I persevered--grumpily going much slower than I preferred while arguing with an omnipotent God--I continued to argue about all that had gone on around me for many months and how it was all wrong.

Then I saw a turtle.

It was slowly making its way across the path.  It didn't seem to care that it was in my way nor that I was approaching.  It didn't even look at me.  It just lumbered along... as if I didn't exist... as if it was only focused on one thing... to get across the path.  It didn't look anxious or fearful or worried.  The world around it would go on as it would without phasing this turtle.  I could rain or snow or blow... or a bicycle could come zooming by.  I don't think it cared.  How wonderful!!

What would happen if I could focus in such a way--to dismiss any and all matters that I have no control over and simply focus on the one thing that was in front of me.  Life would be simpler!  I would have less stress!  And I would be much more likely to complete my task!

Let the world be the world.  I am going to be me.  Let people be mean or nice or indifferent.  I am going to be me.  Let others do what they will do, holy or unholy.  I will be me and try to be holy.  Let others meet God with me or not.  I will meet God, alone or not.  Let other hear or ignore their Call.  I will follow mine.

It was a surreal moment.  God ended the argument much as he did with Jonah.  The turtle might have well told me the words:  'Do you do well to be angry?'.  The turtle meandered across the trail as if it knew the story.  I grumpily trudged down the trail as if I forgot the story.

God beat me with a turtle.

God is Good,
Pastor Joe