On my wonderful return to kayaking yesterday (after nearly 3 weeks of travel), I noticed that there are distinctly two character qualities in the river turtles. There are the cautious turtles and the less cautious turtles. When I kayaked by a log of 10 turtles, two plopped immediately into the water. The others watched me, poised to leap. One or two ignored me, apparently unconcerned. I was still about twenty feet away so not a huge threat. I am sure more than 80% would have scrammed if I were closer. I could discern no apparent difference in the external characteristics of the cautious vs. the incautious turtles. Of course, I had little time to watch the cautious ones as they would slip into the water as soon as I approached.
When I got home, I went online to see if anyone had researched what makes some turtles Type A (cautious/tautly wired) personalities and what the ramifications are for long life. Would you believe there is almost nothing about this riveting topic? What is wrong with people? They spend millions researching whether there are differences between boys and girls, which is answered with one word in two seconds flat: yes. However, except for one line about caution in turtles, I could find no research on cautious turtles. The one thing I did discover is that the "False Map Turtle" is much more cautious in nature than the "Painted Turtle." In fact, the writer noted that if you approach a log in Minnesota (where the False Map Turtle lives) and all but a few turtles dive-bomb into the water, the remaining turtles are without a doubt Painted Turtles. False Map Turtles are wary. So do they live longer? Or does the stress of being on high alert kill them at a younger age? Again, not a word on the subject.
So I did some digging. The False Map Turtle has been known to live 35 years in captivity. The experts all agree that in the wild, that long life is certainly reduced. BUT GET THIS! The Painted Turtle has been known to live 55 years!!! Now, while my research is not as rigidly controlled as my PhD thesis on the subject would be, it seems to indicate that caution kills. The incautious Painted Turtle lives a full twenty years longer than the wary False Map Turtle.
In fact, a little more digging revealed that the Painted Turtle is said to have been in existence for 15 million years. (That is, if you don't buy the Young Earth Theory.) AND, the Painted Turtle is the most common turtle in America because it has learned to live in the human-disturbed habitats, unlike other turtles who frankly despise humans and often gather underwater in prayer sessions asking God why He made mankind, considering all the havoc and unrest stemming from that "mistake." All these facts when considered together lend further support to my hypothesis that caution kills.
I think God would agree. Unlike research information on cautious turtles, the Bible is replete with verses about not being anxious. We are told that perfect love casts out fear. Faith in the strength and protection of God casts away worry. Trust in God's provision casts away doubt. It is clear that anxiety is not consistent with the bountiful life in Christ we believers should have.
Still, this is difficult for high-alert types like me. We don't easily calm. If I were a turtle, for sure I would be a False Map turtle, and equally assuredly, I would be the first one off the log. I will probably lose out on twenty years of life.
I veered a little closer in my kayak to one log covered with turtles. Eventually, one by one, each turtle slipped into the water as I approached. Finally, only one large turtle remained. He gazed at me, unperturbed. I knew if I kept coming closer, he would finally leave his warm perch and drop into the river but I felt I had gathered enough data for the day. Besides, he was such a faithful turtle. He deserved peace.
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