This is a funny story. A turtle showed up on my doorstep. Can I tell you all? He was the cutest turtle. His back had all these fun little stripes and lines and I just loved the little fellow the second I saw him… But, before long, I knew we’d have to return him back to the wild, much to my son’s disappointment.
When we released him, I felt like I was watching some sort of kids movie. The little guy swam off into the lake behind our house and there was nearly a dry-eye. There should have been sad music playing in the background. The second he was gone, we all wanted him back.
My son prayed just that, “God, bring me a turtle back.”
About a week later, my boy came into the kitchen from a playdate at a friend’s house. He said, “Mom, I have a surprise for you!” He led me outside with my eyes closed.
“Open them!”
I looked down and saw, not one, but two turtles. God hadn’t just addressed my son’s loss by answering His prayer, but He’d given him a double-portion.
Some of us, like what happened with my son, are experiencing loss. We have lost a relationship, a person, a dream or a hope and it seems it is long gone. We miss — what was. We want to cry. We feel so — at a loss…
I understand this. However, what looks like loss, through Christ is gain. What looks like defeat, through Christ, is resurrection life. What looks like the end, through Christ, is only a new beginning.
Just as God brought back — not one, but two — turtles for my son, God can bring back life, hope and joy to you, in a double portion.
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” (Eph. 3:20-21)
Our God is prepared to do: more than we can ask, more than we can imagine, more than we can understand.
Today, what would it look like for you to get beyond your own understanding, to leave the past in the past, and to hope again?
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What a sweet blessing in response to child-like faith. And to know that God wants to bless all who believe, large and small.
The Parable of the Turtles!
I love this, Kelly!
Great post, Kelly! Sometimes when we experience loss, the loss is all we can see. I love the reminder of child-like faith. God redeems everything, and wastes nothing. Thank you or the encouragement!
I really, really needed this positive perspective today. Thank you.
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God is so good, isn’t He! What a sweet illustration of the fact!
We have turtles, too, but they are desert turtles and they can be cute. 🙂 Ours definitely like my husband the best. They come running when he is outside but hardly give me the time of day. LOL