Doing Good and Sunning Turtles
Reflections on Galatians 6:9 – July 6, 2025
by Susie Grade
"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." —Galatians 6:9
Are you feeling weary?
In Galatians 6, the apostle Paul gives us this encouragement: you reap what you sow. It’s one of those hard, farming facts—if you plant bean seeds, you get bean plants. If you plant corn, you get corn. And in the same way, if you plant good, good will grow.
But it’s easy to grow tired. Sometimes, in our weariness, we start looking for refreshment in all the wrong places. We want comfort, relief, or rest—but instead of turning to God, we reach for distractions that leave us emptier than before. And when we plant seeds of envy, discord, or resentment, those things take root too.
Paul’s reminder here is simple but powerful: receive God’s grace, live in God’s grace, and keep doing good.
Life in the Woods
After 25 years in the beautiful chaos of city life, our family now finds ourselves in the Northwoods of Wisconsin. And I have to say—there’s so much beauty here. It’s a different kind of beauty than the city’s: slower, quieter, full of nature’s wonders.
Just yesterday, while walking the dogs, we saw a porcupine waddling along the road. We see deer, birds, all kinds of creatures. But my favorite thing is going out on the lake in the early morning—paddling gently in the kayak, the sun warming the water, and looking for turtles.
I love turtles. There’s something so peaceful about watching them bask on a log or rock, necks stretched toward the sun. They could pull back into their shells—into that hard, protective place—but instead, they reach. They strain toward the light. And I sit quietly and watch, taking it all in.
The Goodness That Grows
That image of the turtle, slowly lifting its face to the sun, has become a picture for me—a kind of living parable.
So often, what gets in the way of our doing good isn’t evil or selfishness. It’s the pressure to prove something. To perform. To earn our worth or show the world how "good" we are.
But the turtle doesn’t strive. It just basks. It rests in the warmth it was created for. And I wonder if that's how God designed us too—to lift our faces and let His countenance shine on us. To receive the love of God like sunlight on our skin.
That kind of love changes us. It creates people who are secure, grounded, seen, and known by God—not scrambling to prove or pretend. People who know their worth isn’t earned out in the world, but given as a gift from the One who made them.
Back Into the Shell
Of course, we all have days when we retreat. Maybe you do too.
You get a strange glance. An email that rattles you. A sense of failure or embarrassment. And like that, we’re back in our shells—protecting, hiding, shrinking. But the turtle reminds me that we don’t have to stay there. We can slowly lift our heads again.
Lift Your Face
So today, may you lift your face. Not in striving, but in trust.
Lift your life to the loving gaze of God. Let that light fill you. Let it shape you. Let it empower you—not to hustle or prove, but to reflect that love into the world.
And when you do, the doing good won’t feel so exhausting. It’ll flow from who you are. It will be the fruit of your resting in God’s love.
Let’s be like the turtle, straining toward the light.
Amen.