Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Spiders or Tortuga



MAHALO JJ AND RACHEL!!! Had a great "Vacation" to Maui and their wedding!



Well, I finally have an older brother! While I was in Hawaii for the wedding, I noticed some pretty amazing things, however simple. Of course I love deriving lessons from this stuff so here we go: Two animals that got me thinking: Spiders and Turtles. The contrast between the two is obvious, but on a spiritual sense, we should strive to be more like turtles.

Spiders: Creepy, crawly, recluse, camouflaged by its surroundings, using deceit to retrieve success, poisonous, despised, over-reactive, cold-blooded, scary, infesting, villainous just to name a few of the ideas that come to mind about the spider. Their success if everyone else's failure. They feast on the weak, and hide from the strong. They are carried in the wind to a residence,
then set up their traps, and sit idly waiting for their next victim.



Turtles: Majestic, dedicated, shielded, intelligent, intuitive, navigated, tested, unchanging, patient, friendly. Turtles can support nearly 200 times their own body weight in pressure. From birth, they are targets of predative creatures, but with maturity, they find safety in being close to their family, using their shell, and navigating with a magnetic detection system. They use all their senses to their advantage, and help transport other animals along the way. Among the sharpest of their senses is that of vision, with which they communicate through visual signals and actions. They have a structured daily routine. They are sensitive to subtle vibrations, bright lights, and noise. Turtles are confident when alone, but thrive in a group setting.


Hopefully you see where I'm going with this. We, as children of God, have great "majestic" potential. We are to let our light shine for others to be strengthened along the way. There is no glory in putting others down, or hiding ourselves completely in darkness. Look at the above mentioned traits of a spider. They sound criminal. Hiding in dark alleyways awaiting their next underdog to prey on.
Or there's the turtle, who uses all of its strengths to offset its weaknesses. It withstands pressure, uses imagination, has structure, and is a vehicle to others in its surrounding.

"Together, there is nothing your minds cannot accomplish. Help each other, draw upon one another, and always remember the power that binds you." - Master Splinter (Ninja Turtles)