Some of you might know this, but I call my home in Atlantic Beach Domus Coeli, which is Latin for Heavenly Home!

I know that I am richly blessed to have such a marvelous place to live and pray and dance. It only takes a few minutes to get to the beach. I wrote about the moonrise last week. Well I inadvertently went down to the beach on Wednesday at dusk. There was a darkening of the skies but no rain. As I emerged onto the beach, there was the “turtle patrol” checking on a nest that had already hatched. Each nest contains about 100 eggs. I had the wrong assumption that turtles hatch only on full moons.

Sadly three little turtle hatchlings came out earlier in the day and died in the heat of the sun. Their little tracks kind of pull on your heartstrings. But then I saw the three women volunteers rescue 10 baby turtles! I was sucked right in to being the newest turtle patrol volunteer. They wanted so badly to get into the water, but we had to keep them in a children’s little sand pail until it was dark enough to release them.

After checking and counting the 100 empty eggshells…we buried the three little ones who didn’t make it along with the eggshells. Isn’t it cool that the turtle eggshells are in the same place as seashells? O the marvel of even our language!

We had to check on another nest that hatched three days earlier so we took the little turtles with us. I helped carry the shovel. It was a wonderful walk up the beach. I even could help locate the place since I knew the area.

When it was late dusk, we released the little turtles a couple of yards from the ocean. It will be a long journey. Only one out of 2000 will reach adult maturity and return to lay eggs in this same place. I am praying and hoping one of these little tykes will come “home” to this most heavenly beach.

It is a great struggle for the turtles to make it into the water. They are exhausted and have to battle the surf. Shoot, I know how it is to get into the surf for those really big waves to body surf…and I am a lot bigger! One of the little turtles had a bum front flipper. I fell in love with him and named him Nemo. Once he got into the surf, it pushed him back about three times. Then he just stopped. I shouted at him, “Don’t give up Nemo! You can do it! You can overcome these obstacles!”

Gosh, I felt like Nemo was encouraged by my words. I can still see his little eyes looking at me. After hesitating he flipped and flopped right into the ocean. I didn’t see him again. “Go with God little Nemo! Go with God!”

Beloved, that is how I experience God. I don’t know a whole lot about being divine or human for that matter. But I do know how wonderful it is to be encouraged by my parents and friends when I feel like giving up or quitting. That is how God works. God loves us and delights in who we are just like our parents do when we are first born. Now when we become teenagers, it gets tougher. But if we ever get endangered, then our loved ones will do anything for us. Sometimes there is absolutely nothing they can do for us…except to love us.

And that is enough.

As I walked home along the beach, I felt loved. I felt like God was standing beside me saying, “Don’t give up Ron! You can do it! You can overcome these obstacles!”

“Keep praying Beloved even if it seems pointless or useless. I am right by your side. I, God, love you! I delight in you!”

Wow! Little Nemo has done more for me in his very short life. He teaches me how much God loves Creation and how much God loves us….every one of us!

Love, joy, peace,

Father Ron Moses +

www.tearinthedesert.com

P.S. Great job, Susi, on your radio interview. It was great and encouraging. You seem to be saying to many of us struggling writers who yearn for abundant waters; “Don’t give up Little Writer! You can do it! You can overcome these obstacles!”

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