He's an "On Time GOD!"

This story builds on Turtle Story #1, so if you haven't read it, you might want to do so.

I told Kim (the speech pathologist at my school) about Turtle Story #1. It's really hard to tell that story without tears because my son's safety was involved. Kim told me that I would make her cry, and if I remember correctly, she did. She also decided she would get me a beanie baby turtle as they were popular at that time. She did not tell me…I guess she planned to surprise me.

Well during this school year, I had a family crisis going on which I could not share with anyone. I think the story will be sufficiently told without sharing it here, too, since I have not asked permission to share. However, one Sunday night I just could not take any more of the stress. I cried out to God, literally crying myself to sleep or sick…maybe both. I remember the last time I looked at the clock was about 9:30 or 10:00. I asked Our Father to send me a sign that “this too shall pass.”

The next morning, my routine went as usual. I suppose the tears were cleansing, because I felt much relieved and knew that I could and would just trust my Father to handle my problems, which seemed to be many. As I was working breakfast duty which I did every morning, Kim came to the door of the cafeteria. Her smile was bright and she brought with her a small box. When she held out the box to me, I immediately started crying. The box had “Tennessee Aquarium” emblazoned on top.  I knew immediately this was my sign from God that “this too shall pass.” Kim was amazed. She asked why I was crying since I had no idea what was in the box. I assured her that I knew exactly what was in the box… it was a turtle, which was also a sign from God! I asked her what day and time she bought the turtle as I opened the box to find a pewter sea turtle about an inch or an inch and a quarter in diameter (cute little turtle!). She looked puzzled, but replied that she’d gotten it Saturday morning around 9:30. This made me bawl! At this point Kim told me that she wouldn’t have gotten the turtle if she’d known it would upset me this much! I explained to her that 36 hours after she got the turtle for me, I asked God for a sign. By the time I finished explaining, Kim and I were both crying. Students were questioning, so I explained that these were happy tears because God had used Mrs. Kim to answer my prayer.

He is an ON TIME GOD! He had the answer on its way before I even asked for it. He never fails us, never!! He is our Strong Tower, our Shield and Buckler, our Shelter, our Abba!

That pewter turtle sits in my bathroom now, a reminder of when God showed me just how much He loves me…He is always available, always ready, and has the answers in His Hand when we cry out to Him. He has the answers even if we don’t cry out to Him. How can we explain to people who don’t know Him that Our Father loves them just as much as He loves us, and He wants to deliver them? Much prayer is needed! This is the only way we can be sensitive to His Voice (that still, small voice) leading and guiding us. Please keep me in your prayers that I will be in prayer and be quietly listening for my Lord’s whisper at all times!

God Uses Turtles!

I was driving to a friend's house to work out and was already late by about 15 minutes. She was on a tight schedule that day, so I didn't stop to move a turtle out of the rural roadway. It already had its head off the road, and would probably walk off the road anyway before another car came down this lonesome stretch.
On my way home, I saw the turtle squashed. Immediately I felt convicted that I should have stopped-it would only have taken 2 minutes!-and moved the turtle. It, too, is God's creation. I prayed for God to forgive me for being in such a hurry earlier. I felt forgiveness wash over me, but still. . . so I asked God to help me forgive myself, too.
As I rounded a curve in the road not even a fifth of a mile from the squashed turtle, there was another turtle in the road for me to move. I have never seen two turtles that close together. I usually don't even see two turtles on the road in a week, much less two in the same day!
So I stopped and moved the turtle, praising the LORD for giving me a turtle to move to help me forgive myself for not moving the first turtle.

Several weeks or even months later, as I was taking my son to PreK (late), I saw a turtle on the road. As I turned around to go back and move the turtle, Stephen said to me, "Mama! I'm going to be late and miss free stations! DON'T move this turtle." I told him I had to move the turtle, but to watch the car clock. It would only take two minutes, which it did. As we arrived in our rural town (about 7,000 people), there was a three car accident at an intersection at which a traffic light has since been installed. The ambulance and police had not even arrived when we got there. There was a man lying on the side of the street, a person sitting sideways in a car, and another person laid back in a car. I have no doubt that had I not moved that turtle, we would have been the fourth car in the accident. Praise GOD for protection. Now, if you see a turtle on the road, slow down! You might even move the turtle off the roadway. PRAISE GOD for watching over you!!


More installments to come in the turtle stories...God really does use anything we'll pay attention to...