by Victoria Heinecke

How do we measure the growth of our faith?

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

“As for (the seeds) in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.”
Luke 8:15 English Standard Version (ESV)

The green sea turtle is a fascinating animal. These large, gentle reptiles live throughout Hawai’i, swimming gracefully throughout the warm ocean waters, feasting on algae. No one knows exactly how long they live, or how to determine a turtle’s age while they’re alive.  However, it’s likely that the turtles on this beach are decades old.

On land, they are also incredibly slow.

I watched this group off and on for some time, and it seemed as if they were going nowhere. Some inched along the dry sand, pulling their bodies forward with feet that are better made for water. Others were pushed ashore by a wave, only to have the undertow pull them back. They seemed to be stuck, until they could get a toehold on the sand.

Then I noticed the trail in the sand, created as one turtle dragged itself up the beach. Some of them had traveled quite a bit that morning, inching along the sand. Their trails tell a story of how far they’ve come.

“…we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”
Romans 5:3b-5 ESV

There are times when our faith walk can be described as a “mountaintop experience,” and other times where we feel as if we’re plodding through thick sand, marking time. In those latter times, it can help to look at the trails we leave behind. There are trails in Bible notes, study guides from Sunday School, a personal journal, and cards and letters.

Special encouragements can lift us up and help us remember where we’ve been, and give us the strength to keep going.

Dear Lord, thank you for being with us in all of the seasons of our lives. Whether our life events are a whirlwind or mundane, you are always by our side. Help us to see how far we’ve come as we grow closer to you. Amen.

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado