In case you are wondering who Fredrick is, he’s our pet turtle living in the bathroom sink of our hotel since we bought him a week and half ago during the Amazing Race for 8 yuan ($1.15).
Each day, multiple times a day I go into the bathroom and change his water and rearrange/give him some new food. It’s nothing new we interact a lot. Sometimes I will just walk into the bathroom to check on him. I look at him, he turns his long neck to look at me, he sees me, then slowly pulls himself back into his shell as if I didn’t see him. Obviously, since it’s the bathroom I also use it for other parts of my day besides checking on the turtle, brushing teeth, washing hands, taking a shower, using the bathroom, etc. I’m always in there and around and checking in on him and moving him around.
Each day, multiple times a day I go into the bathroom and change his water and rearrange/give him some new food. It’s nothing new we interact a lot. Sometimes I will just walk into the bathroom to check on him. I look at him, he turns his long neck to look at me, he sees me, then slowly pulls himself back into his shell as if I didn’t see him. Obviously, since it’s the bathroom I also use it for other parts of my day besides checking on the turtle, brushing teeth, washing hands, taking a shower, using the bathroom, etc. I’m always in there and around and checking in on him and moving him around.
Today, my stomachs been doing it’s own thing so I’ve been in the bathroom more often. Just now as I finished washing my hands in the bathtub to exit the bathroom, I turned to Fredrick who was all sprawled out and said, “How ya doing Fredrick?” As fast as he could yank his little head back in there (which apparently is pretty quick for a turtle) he went in. “That’s strange” I thought while curiously watching my little shelled friend. He knew I was here. He was looking right at me. I come in here all the time and all I do is help take care of him. Why should he be scared of me and retract so quickly?
Then it occurred to me, there is a massively bigger person standing there talking to you in a booming voice... sound familiar? He loves me and wants to take care of me. He interacts with me daily, multiple times a day, He is always helping clean me up and give me more food. He’s in the room with me, often times I even look right at Him (maybe knowingly, maybe not) and then suddenly, He pierces the silence with an intimate word to my heart that is set off only by the sound of His voice. I shake and quiver and if I had a shell to run into, I would.
But how strange is it for my turtle to do it… then I have to consider how strange is it for me to do it to Him? Someone who cares and loves and only does what is best for us. How do I respond when He who is in the room with me at all points decides to speak. I’d probably shell it up, but I want instead to stay out and let Him lift me up onto his face so that I can interact with Him rather than shell up before Him. Maybe, when He suddenly speaks, I will learn will be broken free totally from it's shell and live undone before Him.
Just a lesson from Fredrick.
Wow, love this. I want to stay out of my shell more and enjoy the one who takes care of me. Thanks for touching my heart from so far away. I speak to Him dailey, asking Him to comfort and give you peace. Lv S
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