Most of you boys and girls have probably seen a turtle. There are many kinds and sizes. Some are very small, but others, like the huge sea turtles, may weigh up to 700 pounds! Maybe some of you have even had a small one as a pet that you kept in an aquarium, with water and rocks for the turtle to climb on to sit in the sun. All turtles walk rather slowly on land, but they are very good swimmers.
One day as our family was driving along in the car, we saw a very large snapping turtle sunning itself in the middle of the road. Now that is not a safe place for a turtle to stop and rest in the sun!
My father pulled the car over to the side of the road so he could help the turtle move out of danger. But then he had an idea. He decided to bring the turtle home to our house, but he wasn’t planning to keep it. As he was looking at the turtle’s big round shell, he thought it would make a good “message board.” Since he is an artist, I’ll explain what he did next.
We carried the turtle home in the trunk of our car. Then my father got out his paints and painted a Bible verse on the turtle’s back. This is what he painted in bright orange: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” He also included where the verse can be found in the Bible— “1 Timothy 1:1515This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. (1 Timothy 1:15).”
Then he drove to a swampy place where the turtle would be happy and set it free. He thought that sometime when the turtle went out for a walk again, maybe someone would see it and read the verse about Jesus, the Saviour of sinners. He is the only One who can wash our sins away and make us ready for heaven, and everyone needs to know that and believe it.
We didn’t expect to hear anything more about the turtle. However, several days later there was a knock on our door. A man stood holding a large box and said, “I found your turtle in a field by a swamp and thought I would bring it to you.” We were so surprised as there was nothing to identify the turtle with us except the bright orange Bible verse on the turtle’s shell. This man lived in the neighborhood and knew we were Christians. When he was out in the field, he saw the unusual turtle with the message and knew it must belong to us.
Sometimes we don’t realize how much people are watching us. Christians are like lights shining in a dark world, and others can see that light. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world” (John 8:1212Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. (John 8:12)). When we have put our trust in Jesus, we can reflect that light, like a mirror, to help others find Jesus, the Saviour of sinners.
My father thanked the man for bringing the turtle to us, and later he drove it to a nice place several miles away. We have not seen or heard anything more about that turtle, but maybe it is still walking around with its life-saving message to anyone who sees it.
ML-06/21/2015