Going to Hawaii has always been an oasis from the business of everyday life. There isn’t much to do, so it forces you to lye down on a chase and rest. We had the opportunity to do that a couple of months ago and soaked in the sunshine and heat (90+ degrees everyday). One day we decided to go to the west side of Maui island and came across a beach that is known for leatherback sea turtles.

There were approximately 25 leatherbacks sunning themselves on the beach. They belong to the reptile family and hatch between 60 and 350 eggs in the sand after they become mature. They can go under the water for between 6-40 minutes without taking a breath. If they want to sleep in the ocean, they can stay in the water between 4 to 7 hours without breathing. Their main delicacy is the boxed jellyfish that is deadly to humans, but they are immune to the sting and love to eat them. That’s why there aren’t jellyfish on the Hawaiian beaches because the leatherbacks eat them. Unlike other turtles, the sea turtles can’t retract their heads into their shell.

Isn’t it interesting that God created these creatures in a beautiful setting to eat jellyfish that could kill us so that we could enjoy Hawaii without the treat of bodily injury. I had no idea of the potential danger that was being taken away by God’s magnificent turtle. How many other times does God intervene in our lives by taking away potential dangerous experiences in our lives and we are unaware of it or we take it for granted.

There are many times in my driving of a vehicle where I could have been involved in a tragic accident, but was saved by leaving a hair late and missing what could have been a life altering experience. What about relationships that seem to break up and we are left with wondering where we went wrong. Could it be that God didn’t want us to connect with that person because it wasn’t what would have been best for us.

The only way that we can escape from dangerous situations or relationships in our lives is by allowing the God of the universe to give direction and insight as to what is dangerous for us. On this journey, God wants to give us life and life abundantly, but we need to put our trust in Him so that He can take care of the jellyfish that swim our way.