First
of all, it is a wonder to me that they even make it out of their sandy
nests. After cracking their egg shells
with a “caruncle,” a tooth that they shed shortly after hatching, they must dig
their way to the surface. (Quick
question: How do they know which way is
up?) Well, once they get oriented, they
must plow their way to the surface, following a grand exodus of their turtle
siblings. They probably get some sand in
their eyes and maybe a flipper or two to the face. Regardless of this elbow-to-elbow struggle to
the surface (if sea turtles actually have elbows), once they emerge into the
cool night air they must then make their way to the ocean. It’s amazing that they can rely on natural
cues and God-given instinct to take off in the right direction! But even once they get oriented, they must
travel quite a distance (especially for a tiny, silver-dollar sized turtle) to
take their proverbial plunge into life. They
have sand divots, beach debris, and predators to avoid, and all of this could
potentially drive them off-course. Oh
yeah, they also have to contend with the ocean waves, and then all the
predators that await in the sea.
Our
little band of turtles on the video have quite an introduction to the
world. (Fun fact: A group of turtles is called a bale, a nest,
a turn, or a dole). What struck me most
while watching the video was just how hard the little guys have to work just to
dive into the ocean. They’ve only just begun,
and already they must be exhausted! Part
of me (okay, a large part of me) wanted to just step into the scene, scoop them
up, and gently deposit them into the rest of their lives. Then I remembered something. Now, admittedly, I don’t know if this is
scientifically sound information I am about to share, but I have read this
before and have heard other people mention that picking up and transporting a
baby turtle into the ocean is actually detrimental to their survival. The reason this is (or so I have heard) is
that the struggle is essential to
their survival. This toil actually helps
to strengthen the turtle. I have heard
this is also true for moths and butterflies as they emerge from their
cocoons. If the creature doesn’t endure
the struggle, its chance of survival greatly diminishes.
Being
a complete sucker for symbolism, metaphor, and analogy, I was compelled to take
the tale of the turtles farther -- into my own life. I don’t like struggle. Who does?
I actually have become quite adept at avoiding conflict. I can see it coming, and my mind races with a
plan to evade or circumnavigate the trial.
I sometimes exude ninja-like deftness at dodging strife. (It’s pretty impressive, if I do say so
myself).
But
here’s what I realized as I watched the march of the turtles: What is true for the turtles is true for us
humans. Struggle is strengthening. When we struggle, we get stronger: physically, emotionally, spiritually, and
intellectually. This doesn’t mean that
we are always victorious in our hardships, but, triumphant or not, we gain
something when we wrestle. Maybe we gain
a new perspective. Or a new piece of
wisdom. Or a new understanding of
ourselves. But just like I watched the
turtles work so hard to arrive at their destination, I suspect that God also
watches our exertions carefully and with great care. And while sometimes He might deem it right to
simply pluck us out of the situation (and believe me, God has certainly plucked
me out of a few fires in my day), more often than not it is perhaps God’s
incomprehensible grace that allows us to flail, squirm, and duke it out,
because He has something He wants us to learn from it all. And I’ll bet He is cheering for us every step
of the way.
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