The turtle's message

Dear Friends,

I was recently walking barefoot through Deer Park in Newport News, connecting to Mother Nature. The forest was teeming with Life - the song of birds, the scurrying of squirrels - the heartbeat of God. Peacefulness filled my being. The energy of the lake cleansed my field.

Returning to the park road, I looked down and saw a baby turtle crushed by the wheels of a car, its insides strewn about. I bent down and placed my hand over the turtles body, praying for his soul. Tears streamed down my face. The turtle was so innocent. It meant no harm. Just crossing the road peacefully. And it even had a shell to protect its fragile body. How can such a peaceful being be crushed like this? So much broken innocence in the world. Perhaps the person who drove through the park had not seen the turtle. The car, so big, and the turtle, so small. I, too, had missed many of these baby turtles on the road, especially through my ignorance and lack of awareness. And so I wept for the ignorance of the world. And I cried for the the baby turtle, honoring his sweet innocence. Truly people know not what they do. This turtle had awakened my heart to the suffering of the world.

Oh, Lord, I am walking this earth to love my fellow creatures. To relieve the suffering of my dear Earthling friends. To hold all of them in my heart. I moved the turtle's body to the side of the road and covered it with pine needles. Thank you, dear turtle, for sharing your message with me.

With love,
Brian