Daily Devotional for October 7, 2014

Luke 13:15-16
But Jesus shot back, “You frauds! Each Sabbath every one of you regularly unties your cow or donkey from its stall, leads it out for water, and thinks nothing of it. So why isn’t it all right for me to untie this daughter of Abraham and lead her from the stall where Satan has had her tied these eighteen years?”

Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.  Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO.  All rights reserved.

As I began to write this devo, I glimpsed out my office window to see a little turtle crawling across the driveway. Unlike our image of turtles as slow-moving creatures, this little guy was in a hurry.  It was as if he thought, “I shouldn’t be here...I better get a move on and get outta here!”  By the same token, I have a “to-do” list for this day that is longer than my arm...but I found myself out on the driveway, photographing a turtle and marveling at how intricately he is created.  From the honey-comb pattern of his hard-shelled back to the delicate little claws on the tips of his toes that help him grip the land as he travels along - and the ingenious way he can retreat inside his shell and protect himself from prey – God packed a punch of beauty and intricate design in this small package!

I grabbed my camera and headed for the window, and then the front porch as he scurried on toward the yard – and ultimately into the safety of an adjacent woods.  Then I posted a few of these pictures on Facebook with the verse from Psalm 139:14...”I will praise Thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made...”(NIV).

Here’s the thing...a lot of the time, we would say, “It’s just a turtle. Why stop my day and go to the trouble to grab a camera and take pictures?!  Surely I need to be doing something more responsible or meaningful with these few minutes.”  In other words...this is just not done – or it shouldn’t be!  Had I kept on writing, the turtle would have wandered away, and life would have gone on as usual.  But I would have missed a moment of “eucharisteo” – a chance to recognize the intricacies and artistry of God...and to give thanks for His attention to detail.  I would have squandered a chance to be reminded that the God who cares so much about the last element of how a turtle’s body is knit together and functions also cares that much about me!

God doesn’t really care about our timetables.  He wants us to be attuned to His.  He doesn’t care nearly as much about “convention”, ritual and tradition as we do.  God would far rather we notice His presence in the brief encounter with a turtle. He would rather we take time to heal someone in Jesus’ name on the Sabbath than worry about what day it is.  In other words, God would rather you worry less about “how things are supposed to be done” and more about what you are actually doing that honors and glorifies Him!

Look at it this way...we will often stop everything to check our e-mail messages or read through posts on Facebook – but we won’t stop to speak to someone in the grocery store or the hallway at school or church.  We will spend an hour watching “The Real Housewives of Something”...or “Swamp People”...but we won’t take 30 minutes to call a friend, write a note of encouragement, or knock on our neighbor’s door and ask how he/she is doing.  We have all manner of time to scour magazines or the Internet for the latest scouting report on our favorite team...or the photos of George Clooney’s wedding – but we can’t sit quietly and watch God paint a picture with His glorious sunsets or the rising of a harvest moon!

Don’t miss the “turtles” in your life. Don’t waste a single chance for “eucharisteo”.  Forget about how things have traditionally been done and ask God to show you how He wants you to do things!  Embrace all that He has planned for you. Make sure you are always in His will and experiencing His healing power in even the smallest moments. Quit worrying about what others think. Concentrate on finding – and sharing – God’s love and care...even in a brief encounter with a turtle.

©2014 Debbie Robus