Adam and Eve, our little red-eared sliders (turtles) frequently stack themselves one on top of the other. Someone thought it a sign of affection, but when we researched the topic we learned their "affection" was actually part of the design God made for them, and is definitely not by accident!
They were created to climb on top of one another to "bask" in the heat. The reason is called "thermoregulation." These darling little turtles with the red strip over their ears, surely don't realize it, but experts have found that when their body temperature is elevated, the efficiency of their digestive system increases, and there is a greater amount of gastric acid and enzyme secretion. Obviously the back of their neighbor slider is higher and thus closer to the warmth source be it the sun or the heat lamp in an aquarium—so they climb as high as they can! (The slider who is climbed upon often wiggles to throw off the other, but in time lets its neighbor use his back—the next time it might be he who gets to be on top!) A slider on a sunny day basks mid-morning to mid-afternoon— thus regulating its digestion in the warmest part of the day. But listen to this: on a cloudy day—it is not by accident that the little turtle will bask much longer—often until late afternoon—because for growth and development of a healthy shell a proper amount of the sun's rays for synthesis of Vitamin D is necessary. Those rays also help the little turtle dry out thoroughly and thus hinder growth of harmful algae. And the sun's rays also destroy certain parasites. Now does a turtle who is just a few inches long know about the importance of heat to its survival, and that climbing higher (as on the back of a neighbor turtle) will accomplish more than just lying beside his friend as he "suns" himself? Obviously our turtles (Adam and Eve) have no clue about any of this. They do it because the Creator programmed them that way. It's just one more not by accident example of a Creator's affection for His creatures to make them to do what is best for them. Wouldn't it be great if we always chose the best behavior designed by God for us?
Sliders are programmed to do what they do. They don't have a choice. But we've been programmed to be free to choose! Are we living out our lives by accident, just reacting to changing circumstances, or are we willing to use the minds given us to choose the design recommended by our affectionate Creator? The first human Adam and Eve didn't choose wisely. Will we?
"NOT BY ACCIDENT" (c) Juanita Kretschmar is used by permission and was first published in the book "Not By Accident" pages 14-15
