“Yinney” Chapter 35

 It had been a while since Yinney had entered the lagoon in which he had the vision. But on this day after morning prayers and his morning song, that is exactly what he found himself doing. He couldn’t help but wonder what might happen this time?

Visions were not a normal thing in his life, but he had never meditated underwater before either. Would it happen again? Stroke by stroke he steadily swam through the water towards the sunken tree.

Since that day he had adjusted his life in the direction of the vision, calling for a “Kingdom of God Community of Unity”. The best way he knew to do this was by keeping an emphasis on “Fellowship”. And, as it had become common place for him to say: “You can’t have fellowship with someone that wants to eat you.” True fellowship is a good test for true Christianity, or not! It tends to eliminate the false and fake in a very natural way.

“Predators”… he pondered as he swam. Being a predator was not the way of Christ. Predators don’t like for you to see them coming. So they disguise themself, try to blend in, make you think they are your friend, one of you, family, but they are out to get something from you, to eat you. Hhmmm. You can’t have fellowship with someone who wants to eat you.

Yinney thought about II Peter 2:3… “In their greed they will make up clever lies to get hold of your money.”

Of course, as a sloth, Yinney didn’t have money, but the kingdom of man did, and the name of Christ was slandered every day by false prophets manipulating vulnerable people to get their money, causing the heathens to hate the church and slander God’s name. Even many good churches had fallen prey to much greed and become predatorial in practice.

Under the New Covenant of Christ, the only time a tithe is ever mentioned is related to Pharisees still under the law. Two examples can be found in the Gospels, but what Christian wants to be known as a Pharisee? And yet somehow we still hang on to that one law, and it just happens to relate to money? Uh-huh. Predators come in many shapes and forms. We must be careful, lest we become one ourself, and do not even know, Yinney warned himself.

Actually, we surrender everything to God now, not just ten percent, his thoughts continued. And the freedom in the Spirit leads us to give as God directs. God is not a program. God is like an eagle soaring, not a sparrow flap flap flapping. And with that thought Yinney took a deep breath and began his decent to the rotting tree on the lagoon floor, where he would latch hold, as if suspended between two dimensions, begin slowing his heart rate, and meditate. A sloth can stay underwater for as long as forty minutes.

Yinney was no longer thinking about predators as he drifted in place, suspended. Thoughts of the fellowship at his 7th Day Tree filled his heart with joy. Lu-Lu, Me-Me, and Jo-Jo, had done a fine job of coming up the the name of “Fellowship of the 7th Day”, for much of what Yinney taught was about entering into God’s REST, as described in Hebrews, and other places, such as Jesus describing his yoke. Which he explained as “good”, and “light weight”, not heavy. Yinney pondered what those words meant, and the fact Jesus chose them. “Why those two words? What was Jesus emphasising?” he pondered.

He was so lost in deep thought about all the implications of those two words that he did not see a shadowy form propelling through the jade green hue around him. It passed him by once, then again, and finally a third time ever closer! Finally it bumped its nose right into him!

Yinney found himself suddenly staring wide-eyed into the wide-eyes of another creature, nose to nose! It so startled him that he belched a bunch of air from his lungs into the face of the creature! At which point, both Yinney and creature began stroking towards the surface! Yinney needed air, and the creature? He did not know. He only knew it was after him!

Breaking the surface he gulped some air as he searched the waters. Where did it go? He did not know until a voice popped up behind him, “Are you a sloth?” the creature asked and kept talking, “I heard sloths could go underwater, but I never saw it before! I thought you got stuck to that tree and was dead! I was so hoping you were not dead. I did not want to find a dead sloth stuck to a rotting tree, know what I mean?”

Yinney tried to turn quickly, but of course it was slowly, and discovered the creature was a box turtle! What a relief, he thought.

“So how do you do that?” the turtle continued. “My kind practically live in the water. We’re in it every day. But you guys, not so much. I’ve always hoped I would see this one day, and now I have! Yaa! I’m Tornado, by the way. Glad to meet you!”

Yinney was amazed at the speed of this turtle, because turtles are very slow creatures, even as he, but this one was in hyper-speed as far as turtles go. “Tornado?” he finally repeated, not sure he heard that right. What kind of name is that? Especially for a turtle? And a female turtle at that. His questioned to himself.

“Yes! That’s right. It’s sort of a nickname. They call me Tornado Turtle because I’m not very organized. They say I cause a lot of chaos and probably will die young.”

“Oh, that’s sad. My name is Yinney, and I live in that tree at the end of this lagoon. Glad to meet you, Tornado. Please visit me sometime, if you like.”

“Oh, that would be nice, to visit someone. I’m a treasure hunter, you know.”

“No, I didn’t know.”

“Oh yes. You’d be surprised how much stuff I got in this house of mine. Sometimes things fall out. I’m trying to add on, you know. Expand the shell so I have room for more stuff. You got any idea how to do that?”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t.”

“Yeah, that’s what everyone says. But I know there has got to be a way.”

“I can ask around,” Yinney said, “We have a Fellowship at the tree. Maybe Lu-LU, Me-Me, or Jo-Jo have heard of something. They get around a lot more than I do.”

“A Fellowship?” Tornado asked.”

“Yes. We call it ‘Fellowship of the 7th Day’. Let’s swim over to the bank under my tree, and I will tell you all about it.”

“Well… I would… but what about all my stuff?”

“I don’t understand,” Yinney said.

“I unloaded some stuff before I entered the water. I hid it real good. If I go in the water with all the stuff, I sink like a rock!” she said and began laughing so hard. “Tell you what, I’ll try to stop by in a few days and you can explain to me this ‘Fellowship’ thing. Can I fit one in my shell?”

“Well…I believe you could, Tornado. I believe you could.”

And with that they said good-bye for now and see you soon. As Yinney slowly swam back to his tree, he considered now how both times in the lagoon had produced unexpected events. And yes, Tornado Turtle certainly was an event, even a force of nature. But what a heavy load she put on herself with all that stuff.