Turtles and Togetherness

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”

Recently I wrote a devotional about ‘togetherness’. And as I thought about togetherness, I realized that to actually have it, there is something each one of us must do.

Can you guess what that is? 

We must choose to have it. We must want togetherness.

It doesn’t come automatically.  We must make time for it and welcome it into our homes, families, and communities.

Why  don’t we experience togetherness in our homes and communities? 

Isn’t it because when you or I go through the valley of grief, or heartache, or whatever you may be struggling with right then, and we feel like there’s no one out there that really understands me anyway, and they just don’t ‘get’ me, that we climb into our turtle shell?

Right when we need people most, we slip inside our little turtle shell where no one can see us. 

It feels safe in there, doesn’t it?

Is that you? Do you build a turtle shell around you whenever you’re going through a deep valley and slip inside of it whenever anyone comes close to your heart?

Togetherness is not living like the turtle. It’s not building a wall around your heart, and shutting people out.

Togetherness is a beautiful gift from God. But to experience togetherness with people, we must learn to know them.

And be willing to be known.

How can we have togetherness if we don’t even know each other?

Sometimes I wonder what would happen if all the turtles would pop out of their homes and stay out long enough to learn to really know each other, instead of just popping out and popping back in again before anyone sees their heart?

Turtles are scared of people. 

And sometimes you and I are, too.

We’re scared of what they will think about me. We’re scared we’ll say the wrong thing or scared they’ll laugh at me.

I know they’ll think I’m a weakling if I tell them my weak points and confess the struggles I have.

We act like turtles. And turtles live all by themselves. In a tiny house, just big enough for one turtle. 

Not even two. 

Turtles don’t know the beauty of togetherness.

Because togetherness is really a beautiful thing. Truly.

But to experience togetherness, we must crawl out of our turtle shell, and let others see us for who we are.

Turtles aren’t vulnerable.

People don’t like to be vulnerable either.

It’s almost funny how we are so much like turtles.

But we don’t have to be like a turtle.

We can choose to come out of our turtle shell and know what it’s like to have togetherness in our homes and communities.

There is so much power in togetherness. If two or three are agreed to ask something in Christ’s Name, He says He will do it!

It takes a lot of courage to come out of our turtle shell and talk about our weaknesses and struggles. Or maybe you’ve a deep pain buried inside of your heart that you haven’t let anyone see.

Whatever it is, Friend, don’t keep it inside of your shell any longer.

You see, when one turtle dares to come out of his shell, and shares his heart, then another turtle will dare to peep out, then another, and another, and then they’ll all be there, TOGETHER!

Turtles like to be by themselves. But we’re not turtles. 

We need each other. 

We need togetherness.

And we can have togetherness. 

If we choose togetherness.