Turtle over Miami

Week of October 23
It was a great year for me and my two boys. I was a single mother of an “all state- all area” 325 pound offensive lineman for Sarasota High School. The season ended at10-2. It had been a long time since SHS had seen that kind of record. It was his senior year. I was in charge of the “Pre-game meals”, so I was able to spend more time with Brian before the games. It was a great season for him and our family to see my son, the center of attention for 4 years, and now he would be moving to a college in the fall on a full scholarship!

January 2005 arrived, and Brian was preparing for “recruiting” and I was really getting nervous. He was going to possibly be moving out of state. How will I visit him or take care ofhim?How can I watch over him or protect him? All these things racing through my mind and crying out to God, “Please Lord, don’t take my son so far away”. As the days went on calls were coming in from all over the U.S. and Brian very quickly decided he wanted to stay in Florida! Whew! Relief for me, he can’t go to far…”God please let him be close”. I kept giving it to God and then I would take it back.
One morning I woke and remembered a dream I had during the night, which was very strange for me as I do not ever remember my dreams. It was about a big turtle crawling up the side walk. And that was it…so I said God “What does this mean?” Well he revealed to me that when Brian was very small a large turtle had wandered to our front door. My husband at the time picked it up and put it in our bath tub. He thought Brian would get a kick out of seeing it when he got home from kindergarten. I remember the look on his face. He was so excited, watched it for hours and fed it. It made me happy to see him get excited over this turtle. Then we decided we had to release it and took it to the pond by our house and let the turtle go…So I thought okay this was a happy moment for us and it reminded me how happy Brian was, so I took that from the dream.

A weeks went by. Within that time Brian and I had been traveling from university to university, looking to accept the best deal. He finally made a decision to move to Florida International University in Miami, a Division I school. I thought, Oh No, there’s too much crime and drugs and how will I protect him and watch over him? I became very anxious again and began praying and asking God to help me through this time. “As such a time as this”….

It was May 2005 and my little boy was graduating. I was planning a big graduation party at my home. Of course praying everyday for protection, and trying very hard to give it to God. I was still feeling a bit anxious. “God help me please, I know you will protect him, Help me to trust you better”.

Graduation day came. I was doing the last minute house check, as a dear friend of mine Debbie was preparing food in the kitchen. I decided that I needed to sweep the front porch and ran to get the broom. As I opened the front door my eye caught an object to the left and as I turned and saw the object I looked up into the sky laughing and said “Thank you God, Thank you God”….it was a large turtle at my front door. And as the Holy Spirit spoke to me, he revealed to me that a turtle carry’s his home on him, he also has a shell that protects him. The spirit was telling me that Brian would be protected and safe. That day was a day of peace for me. The last time we saw a turtle on our front door had been 12 years ago, when Brain was six. I knew this was from God and tears of joy and peace were within me. I knew that God was telling me to TRUST Him. “As such a time as this”……

Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the rock eternal. Isaiah 26:4

Thank you God, I love you…

Linda Kelleher
Sarasota,Fl.