{"id":731,"date":"2011-06-09T05:26:29","date_gmt":"2011-06-09T09:26:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/simplelife\/?p=731"},"modified":"2011-06-07T23:49:34","modified_gmt":"2011-06-08T03:49:34","slug":"the-sea-turtle-promise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/simplelife\/2011\/06\/the-sea-turtle-promise.html","title":{"rendered":"The Sea Turtle Promise"},"content":{"rendered":"

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For 45 years, I’ve walked the beach looking for sea turtles during the evening. \u00a0While others see them regularly, I’ve never seen even one. \u00a0The sea turtles nest on our beach; but I’m probably the one person who lives on our island who hasn’t seen them. \u00a0It isn’t that I didn’t want to see them. \u00a0However, I was never able to be there when the turtles were out.<\/p>\n

Tonight as I was walking along the shore of the ocean, I felt the Lord spoke to me and said, “Things are going to be good for you. \u00a0My plans for you are for good and not evil.” \u00a0As I listened, I felt the Lord said, “What do you want me to do for you?”<\/p>\n

It’s been almost a month since my husband died. \u00a0Again and again, people have told me that God is going to bless me and that I’m about to enter the best time of my life. \u00a0After hearing the Lord speak to my heart, at least 50 things flashed through my mind. \u00a0“Lord,” I responded with a laugh, “there are so many. \u00a0I don’t think we’ll have time to do them all.” \u00a0After all, I’m not a young chicken.<\/p>\n

Just then I saw what looked like a beached large fish floating on top of the water about 100 yards from me. \u00a0Several other beach walkers had stopped to watch the sight. \u00a0As the figure floated closer, I realized it was two extremely large leatherback sea turtles mating in the ocean. \u00a0The people gathered around the edge of the shore were hardly able to speak because of the excitement of the moment. \u00a0This was a great thing for all of us–a special moment.<\/p>\n

I grabbed my cell phone, walked into the ocean and snapped a picture of \u00a0the turtles. \u00a0I knew that the image wouldn’t be clear enough to distinguish the wonder of what we were seeing; but I snapped the photo anyway. \u00a0After I took their picture, the male turtle flapped his fins and the two leatherback turtles moved away from the shore back into the deeper parts of the sea. \u00a0It was odd to see the turtles mating because the leatherbacks don’t ever leave the water. \u00a0Therefore, this was a unique moment.<\/p>\n

The Lord again spoke to my heart, “You always wanted to see a sea turtle. \u00a0I’ve given you more than you ever asked for. \u00a0I can handle your list.” \u00a0Standing on the beach with the waves beating my legs, I cried. \u00a0Later, as I did research for this entry, I found that witnessing leatherback turtles mating is so unusual that National Geographic <\/a>has written about the rarity. \u00a0I’ve often said that when we have commited our lives to the Lord, He will give us the desires of our heart because he put those desires there in the first place.<\/p>\n

Four of us stood at the edge of the water until the turtles had disappeared. \u00a0One of the women was a Christian; and we talked about the goodness of God in allowing me to see my first sea turtles. \u00a0But as wonderful as the sea turtles were, it’s the Lord’s Sea Turtle Promise that I’ll treasure in my heart. \u00a0What are some of the rare moments that the Lord has allowed you to share?<\/p>\n

Here is a video of two mating green sea turtles.<\/p>\n