Have you ever met a talking turtle? No, I’m not kidding. Have YOU ever met a talking turtle?
There’s an old cartoon character you may recall-Touché Turtle. I used to watch him and his pal Dum Dum after school.
Then, of course, there are the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
But that isn’t what I’m referring to.
I met one the other night. His name was Wayne.
Wayne the talking turtle.
It happened like this: I had driven out to a place in West Virginia, somewhere in the country, to see my wife who had been visiting her mom and siblings.
As I pulled up to the house I was greeted by a rather large turtle, who had somehow managed to perfect two skills I’ve never known a turtle to do.
Stand upright and talk.
Yes, talk.
As soon as I opened the door of my car, there he was, just as informative and polite as could be.
“Hello, you must be Jan. I’m Wayne, the talking turtle. I was asked by Mrs. Lloyd to meet you when you arrived and walk you to the garden where she and your wife are.”
Crazy, huh?
And what’s just as crazy? I thought nothing of it. It made perfect sense at the time.
Just like all dreams.
Of course, when I awoke the dream faded and I realized there truly was no Wayne, the talking turtle.
Too bad. I could have really gone somewhere, knowing a talking turtle and all.
As I thought about the dream, some scriptures about dreams came to my mind; especially the one in Acts 2. The one where Peter is quoting the prophet Joel:
“And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams…” (Acts 2:17 ESV)
Realizing I’m no longer a young man, the part that excited me the most was God’s plan for His “old men” who are filled with His Holy Spirit to dream dreams.
The word “old” does not refer primarily to one’s age. The Greek word for “old men” is “presbyteros”; specifically an elder, overseer, bishop, etc. In other words, the Lord doesn’t spend a lifetime building a person’s character, wisdom, etc., to simply turn them out to pasture when they reach a certain age.
This was very good news for me.
It’s so easy to regard myself as too old to matter anymore. Too old to live an exciting life, a kingdom of God kind of life.
Too outdated to believe something as nutty as a talking turtle.
I do understand dreams the Holy Spirit wants to give elders probably have nothing to do with talking turtles. Though that’s not saying he wouldn’t or couldn’t do that. Stranger things have happened.
Nor does one have to be sound asleep to receive a dream from Father God.
But we need to be very careful not to shrug off God’s dreams like they’re as ridiculous as a turtle who talks. They may seem just as impossible, but if God is their author, they aren’t crazy.
We’re being foolish if we don’t pursue them.
Ecclesiastes 5:3 says (in the KJV) that “a dream comes through the multitude of business (or much work)…”. Though other translations read much differently, the KJV really speaks to me about pursuing whatever dream God gives.
It is extremely important we do our part, as we are enabled by God, in not only dreaming the dream but in seeing it come to pass.
God gives the dream and gives us the tools and His Spirit to do what we must do. To do our part in seeing the dream fulfilled.
Yes, even those of us who may dream up such bizarre things as Wayne, the talking turtle.
People who sincerely want to see His Kingdom come, His will be done, on earth as in Heaven.
Jan Grace 