Honor Guard

I recall a summer many years ago on the beach at Fort Fisher, NC when a nest of loggerhead turtles hatched. The rangers gathered all of the children that they could find to form a line on each side of the turtles path from the nest in the dune all the way to the water. The children's job was to protect the hatchlings from the grips of the waterfowl. The children accepted their role with grave determination. Without being told, each child grasped hands with the child across from him/her as if playing "London Bridge". Most of the children were strangers to one another. Yet girl, boy, black, white, all bound together for their cause. No seagull was going to get through on their watch! They saw the young turtles safely to the deeper waters. Their stoic reverence for life was extraordinary.
Or was it?
Perhaps it is how we are all called to be.
On that beautiful day, even the turtles had guardian angels.
How marvelous your works O God! How wondrous your creation.