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 This past Sunday morning, our gospel lesson was Luke 9:51-62. As our pastor had read from both the NSRV and The Message (by Eugene Peterson) he wrapped up his sermon with the challenge: “Seize the Day!” Pondering how I could live by the Holy Spirit's leading, I decided to embrace the challenge. On fire from an excellent sermon, “carpe diem” as the Holy Spirit led was to be my goal this week. But Luke had more to teach me than just living by some catch phrase.
Luke is a turtle I just met that same afternoon but in our short acquaintance he taught me about seizing the day and about living each moment, guided by the urging of the Holy Spirit, and taking each opportunity to do what we are called to do no matter how small.
My family is moving in three days. My husband and I had made arrangements to take our boys two hours away to their grandmother’s house so that they can attend a camp with her church this week while we pack and move.
With boxes for a backdrop and general chaos in the air, we loaded the backpacks, sunscreen, extra clothes, etc in the truck and my husband left with the boys while I stayed to pack more at the house. About halfway into the trip, I noticed the “MUST HAVE” folder of permission forms, medical releases, etc was still on the counter. Calling my husband’s cell, we agreed that he would turn around and I would jump into the car with the folder and we would meet half way. I ran back into the house, put the clothes into the dryer, grabbed a snack for the boys and got off later than my husband had expected. My frustrated husband called wondering where I was and how much longer I would be while I could hear the restless boys from the backseat. “I should’ve left sooner.” I said. “I’m sorry,” I muttered. “I promise I’m hurrying!” I all but yelled into the phone as he called again wondering where I was with the all-important papers.
At that moment, that very crazy, frenetic moment, I was given an opportunity to “seize the day” and the moment it presented by offering assistance to another living creature…a turtle.
On the short-cut back road in our rural area I saw a turtle, a plain old turtle, in the road. “Slow down and move him” I heard a quiet voice within me say. Over the years I’ve come to recognize this voice as not just my conscious but rather as the Holy Spirit guiding me. But, I rationalized, this was important business -and besides, I didn’t want to “slow down!” to move a turtle.
The turtle was in the middle of the lane on a road that is rarely traveled normally. As it is only a couple of miles from where my impatient family waited, I began justify why I should just keep driving. “He’ll be alright.” “See, I straddled him with my tires others will surely do the same.” “It’s still daylight so anyone coming will be able to see him.” and even, “I’ll be right back in just 10 minutes and I’ll move him then.” I argued with the small voice within me. Again, though fainter, I still felt, “move the turtle.”
Looking backwards using the rear-view mirror I convinced myself that all would be alright. I needed to take care of my family and that was most important. Knowing I would return in just a few moments, I blazed a trail toward the interstate drowning out the voice by turning up the radio with a good Christian hymn on the radio (it was a late Sunday afternoon, after all!).
Ten minutes later I came leisurely back down the road, satisfied with getting my papers delivered when I saw him: the turtle was upside down on the road, flailing his legs. This time, I stopped. This time, I was too late. Someone had hit the turtle and never looked back. (It was a Sunday afternoon, after all – and everyone has to get to Sunday evening church on time, even if it means taking the less traveled back road in a hurry….)
The turtle was lying upside down and there was a puddle of blood beside him. Standing in the middle of the road I burst out crying filled with shame and guilt that hurt the pit of my stomach. Picking him up gently, I could see that half of his shell had been knocked off and the wound would be fatal. Still crying, I held him close to me as I drove the thirty minutes home. The words from the sermon hit me like a ton of bricks: “Jesus said, ‘No procrastination. No backward looks. You can’t put God’s kingdom off till tomorrow. Seize the day.” (The Message)
As I held this wounded little turtle and thought about how I had told “the voice” inside that I had something urgent to do but I would be right back, I felt like the disciple who said to Jesus, “I will follow you, but first let me go say farewell to those at my home.” I had been asked to simply take thirty seconds to slow down and help this little guy across the road yet in my mind what I had to do was too important to “seize” that opportunity. I had viewed this urging as silly and insignificant, just something to do, as an obligation, or even thought that it couldn’t really be from the Holy Spirit because it really couldn’t matter that much about moving a turtle, right? I had been sure that I could get back to such a small task. But the opportunity passed and the consequence was great. It was devastating for this creature –and, truth be told, it was devastating to me. The realization that it had been within my grasp for him not to suffer and die was wrenching. I had chosen to go my own way...and that made the difference.
The whole gospel of Jesus took new meaning in that moment.
I named the turtle Luke as I drove home last night. He literally climbed up and sat on my shoulder struggling to survive. We sat there in a very tender and transcendent (and, yes, somewhat surreal) moment. The presence of the Great Creator who made us both- great and small- was real in that strange moment of grace and forgiveness.
When I got him home, I covered the wound with a whole tube on antibiotic-plus-pain-relieving-medication in hopes of easing his suffering, then with all the boxes to be packed surrounding us, and clothes to be washed in a pile on the floor, Luke sat in my hands for his final moments. All of the “have tos” could wait, I decided. As Luke put his tiny leathery head up to my finger and I rubbed it gently. His eyes closed in what appeared like comfort and gratitude. He passed away in the arms of someone who now understands a bit better what it means to seize the day, this very moment, yes, every opportunity, even at the most inopportune moments. I understand better how I want to live from now on by coming face to face with the gospel according to Luke.
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