Dwell, Practically
How a hermit crab inspired me to get serious about how I dwell in the Lord and his word
A hermit without a shell
“Mommy, why is he out of his shell? Should we find him a new shell? Has he outgrown his old one? What’s wrong with him? Is he dying?”
So many questions in one breath.
I didn’t know the answers, and wondered the same things myself, when we came across the tiny hermit crab outside of his shell while searching for shark’s teeth on the beaches of the Outer Banks in North Carolina this week.
The little guy was moving, but barely. And his limp little body was splayed out atop his shell abode. Poor guy. He will surely be consumed by the hungry gulls and other crabs lurking nearby if he remains out of his only source of protection.
We tried to assist in rehoming him by offering what we thought was a suitable option, but he was mostly lifeless. Ultimately, we left him the way we found him but with a shell close by, said a quick prayer, and continued with our treasure hunt. When we encounter things in nature that pull at our heart strings and we can’t do much to help, we give it to God by saying a little prayer that goes something like, “God, your will be done, but please protect/save/help this creature, in Jesus’s name, Amen.”
Later, I was in my happy place hunting for shells alone and quietly reflecting on that exposed and vulnerable crab. I was surprised to realize how much I have in common with it.
When I’m not dwelling in the protection that comes from the Lord, I am exposed and vulnerable to the enemy’s attacks. The Lord is my place where I am safe and sheltered from danger and trouble.
Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust. - Psalm 91: 1-2
I had never seen a hermit crab outside of its shell, other than from the colorful collage work of Mr. Eric Carle in ‘A House for Hermit Crab’. The hermit in the story needs to find a new shell but is frightened of the dangers that lurk in the sea while he’s exposed.
It was surprising to me how fleshy and susceptible the little hermit appeared while out of its shell. I could certainly see how its body would make a tasty morsel for a hungry bird or crab.
When I am operating out of my flesh, I, too, can easily be devoured;
For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. – Romans 8:6
Unfortunately, operating from my flesh, out of my own strength and understanding, is standard practice. I know I’m not alone here. It seems to be the most common prayer request in small groups: “please pray that I can surrender/trust/obey”. And what’s more, we live within a culture that encourages these suboptimal behaviors. When a problem arises, we try to out-brute it, out-smart it, numb it away, pay it off, or buy the next best thing that can make it easier or better for us.
Where does that leave us?
Exhausted. Broke. Addicted. Riddled with anxiety. Empty, yet our garages and closets are bursting full.
So what’s a hermit crab and an entire culture of unprotected and empty citizens to do?
Keep your shells on - if you’re a hermit crab.
For us humans, the best way to move the gauge from empty to full is to fill up on the Word of God. Not only does God’s word offer real sustenance, but also protection “…sharper than any double-edged sword,”1 and it invites us into the presence of the Lord, where we find our refuge. And like the hermit crab, we too can armor up with it for much needed protection.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. – Matthew 5:6
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. – Ephesians 6:10-11
Our little hermit encounter inspired me to write a fable.
The Hermit Crab and the Crow
A fable by Kelly Pittman
A hermit crab lived on a very beautiful, yet very busy beach. Everyday, the hermit crab would poke his eyes and legs out from his shell-home and admire the shiny, colorful array of seashells that decorated the sand all around him. He would become so enamored with all of the beautiful shells that he would find himself completely lost among the colorful coverings.
Sometimes he would forget about all the creatures that also lived on the beach. Daily, he was surrounded by seagulls, ghost crabs, crows, and the occasional fish or sea star that would wash up in the latest wave. It was a scary place to be as a small crab, but he was safe as long as he stayed protected in his shell-home.
One day, the hermit crab stretched his long claws and eyes out of his shell-home and realized it was time to find a new home since his shell was now a little tight.
This thought made the hermit crab excited. He said out loud, “I am going to find the prettiest shell to become my new home!” And out he crawled from his old shell to begin his search for the best shell to become his new shell-home. His eyes jumped from pretty shell to pretty shell, enthusiastically seeking out the best one.
A moment later, the hermit crab spotted the one! His eyes were so focused on it and his mind was so preoccupied with thoughts of how wonderful this new shell-home will be that he didn’t hear or see the crow fly right up behind him.
No sooner than the crow had landed, had she snatched the hermit crab up and gobbled him down. She happily flew off in search of her next tasty snack.
Moral of the story: Do not become so distracted with all that is going on around you or with the next pretty thing that you cannot keep yourself fully protected.
Supporting scripture: “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” – 1 Peter 5:8
We are designed for this
Years ago, in our homeschool, we learned all about animal adaptations: characteristics that help animals survive in their habitats. We learned about camouflage, hibernation, regrowing limbs, migration, storing food, and flying.
We have adaptations, too; the traits God so lovingly designed in us to help us survive here on Earth. Sure, things like legs to walk and run away from danger and sweat to help regulate our body temperature are good examples of human adaptations. But perhaps, more importantly, since we were created for His glory and purpose, we should ask, ‘what do we need to survive?’
The answer is simple. We need him. He is the author of our stories and he knows what lies ahead for each of us. And because he loves us so lavishly, he will abundantly supply everything we need.
He knew we would need him when he designed us and he gives us the opportunity to have him. He gave us…
Eyes to see, and ears to hear
The hearing ear and the seeing eye, the Lord has made them both. -Proverbs 20:12
Brains to learn and store information and call upon the things we learn and store
All scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. – 2 Timothy 3:16-17
Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. – John 8:32
Mouths to profess and praise. Hearts to believe and have faith.
For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. – Romans 10:10
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. – 1 Peter 2:9
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. – John 3:16
So, you see? God gave us these ‘adaptations’ so we can know Him, trust Him, love Him, choose Him and believe in His Son so we can survive.
I often wonder how people going through really hard things and who don’t know Jesus can get through them. It is Jesus, and only Jesus, who gets me through my hardest days and nights. The hope that comes from a life with Jesus alone has sustained even our worst nights. What do people who don’t know Jesus hope in? Doctors? Winning the Lottery? Themselves? When this topic comes up in Christian circles, the response is usually something along the lines of they don’t get through the hard thing; they escape from their pain or try to numb it. Jesus saves us, eternally and momentarily.
It’s worth noting that although God pursues us, he isn’t pushy. With the brain he gave us to make our own decisions, he gives us the opportunity to use these adaptations as we so choose and when we are not operating optimally (for His glory), we use them for our own pleasure or glory.
We all know how that ends.
Like treasures in the sand
While combing the beach for shark’s teeth and keep-worthy seashells, I pass by the same shells and broken bits I’ve seen a thousand times. It makes looking for the special keepers a little harder because it’s as if my brain is telling my eyes, ‘We’ve seen these, these, these, these, next…’, as my eyes search routinely, making it easy to overlook the treasures. But I keep searching until I find the treasure. And inevitably, and perhaps when least expected, it appears. Just like when we came upon these skate’s eggs, also called mermaid’s purses, when we were among the first to be out on the beach, right after the sun had emerged from the sea’s horizon. We had been searching for an hour and were about to give up on finding any shark’s teeth when we found this treasure, instead. It was so exciting for the nature-lovers and collectors in us. (Note: I first searched online to help determine if I could save them, but they had been out of the water for too long. So we kept them. However, it’s now been two days and they smell so awful, they will likely not be coming home with us.)
Scripture can be like that, too. We read the same verses over and over again, thinking there is nothing new for us there, until one day, God reveals something fresh and exciting through those same words.
These revelations excite me. And because this has happened to me so many times before, I look forward to them happening each time I read a passage of scripture. I never know when God will want me to see something new. Reading scripture in this expectant way opens my heart for receiving it with fresh eyes and an open heart.
When a passage of scripture feels like a treasure, it’s easy to dwell in it.
How, then, do we dwell in the Lord, practically?
Knowing we need to dwell in the Lord’s presence and his word to keep us safe, protected and operating optimally, we must make a plan to do so. What’s that old saying, ‘If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.’2 It’s hard to truly dwell in the Lord and his word with constant distractions competing for our attention; even our own dwellings become distractions, just ask Martha, Martha3. We must make it an intentional choice. Daily. Hourly. Minute by minute. Once dwelling there becomes a habit, you will want to meet him there, in your dwelling place, as often as you can.
We all have good intentions with our plans, but like the warning James 4:17 heeds for us, “it is a sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.” It would be wise for us to get practical with our planning to ensure our intentions become actions.
How, then, can we practically dwell in the Lord? Here are eight ideas. Maybe you’re already doing these. Great! I hope you are. Perhaps some will in
spire you. However you make your plans - entering them into your shared family calendar, or using your pretty gel pens and stickers to jazz it up in your paper calendar - just do it.
1. Consider Him your safe place and meet Him there anytime
Think about a physical safe place you know. Perhaps it’s your windowless basement, on standby when the tornado warning comes around. Maybe it’s your closet where you begin your day on your knees, pouring your heart out to the Lord. Or, like me, maybe sometimes it’s behind the locked bathroom door for the few minutes you can leave it locked before your kids violate your privacy. What do these places have in common? Your fight/flight response is paused and you’re able to just ‘be’ because you recognize it as safe. The same is true for the Lord Almighty. He alone is a safe place, your refuge, your fortress. And the good news is, you can meet Him anywhere, at any time, in any condition you are in. If you need to give yourself permission to go there, then do it, even if you don’t change rooms or positions. It could be as simple as saying, “OK, Lord, I need you now” and poof! You are there.
2. Set our mind on the Spirit
A mind that is set on the Spirit submits to God’s law and pleases God; a mind set on the Spirit brings life and peace. A mind set on the Spirit is thinking of ‘things that are above’, in other words, kingdom-thoughts, not thoughts governed by our flesh (which leads to death).
My thoughts are wild and many. I often joke to my therapist that my mind is like my laptop where I have 50 different tabs open on 50 different websites. Not only do I need to minimize (most of) the tabs, but I need to ensure that the tabs that are open are on sites that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy.4
And, as a visual learner, I have visual cues written on Post It notes and notecards in the places where I spend a lot of time, like my art studio/office, and on my bathroom mirror. I have scripture, affirmations, Ebeneezers, and declarations written out so wherever my eyes may fall when I’m in these areas, I will have something Spirit-minded to read and inspire me. We even use a chalkboard in our kitchen eat in area to display a monthly scripture to memorize. All of these visual cues help to reel my thoughts in and take them captive when needed. Sometimes a quick glace at one of my reminders is all I need to check myself before I wreck myself. When my mind is set on the Spirit, I feel like I am walking in step with the Lord. That’s a good place to be.
3. “Fill up” by reading scripture expectantly
We all know we need to read our Bibles regularly, but when is the last time you read your Bible expectantly, waiting for the Lord to reveal something new and fresh, as if you were hungry {starving} for a good word? We pray expectantly. Let us receive His words and truth with fresh excitement, also, and be filled on the sustenance they provide. Let the words before you be enough. Delight in them. Dwell in them. The dishes, emails, checking your social media are not the sustenance you need to stay protected and sustained.
“Your words were found and I ate them. And Your words became a joy to me and the delight of my heart; For I have been called by Your name, O LORD God of hosts.” – Jeremiah 16:16
4. Armor up
Like the hermit crab, vulnerable and exposed without his shell, we, too, are vulnerable and exposed if we are not protected. A practical way to implement the scriptures that make up the Armor of God in Ephesians 65 and to help stay protected is to memorize truths that directly combat the sin with which we consistently struggle. In any given season, we can usually easily identify our own sin patterns. Write them down. If you have trouble thinking of them, ask a trusted loved one who knows you well. Then, search for scripture that speaks truth and life into your sin struggle. Now, be ready to speak it over yourself and your sin.
Here is an example I have to use all the time. One of my sin struggles is feeling discontent with my circumstances…we do have a lot of suffering, so I try to justify my bitterness, discontent and anger by telling myself, ‘this is just too hard; nobody should have to go through this’ as if that excuses my grumbling. I have found myself having this thought so many times, that I’ve learned to automatically combat it, like a reflex, when it arrives. My defense consists of two scriptures that I have on repeat: “My God will supply all of my needs according to His riches in glory by Jesus Christ” (Philippians 4:19) and “His grace is sufficient for me, for His power is made perfect in my weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)
I tell my kids all the time, ‘you get good at what you practice, so be careful what you are practicing.’ I can take my own advice and have these truths ready, like a reflex, for combat.
Another practical example for armoring up is to have a peace or joy mantra when anxiety kicks in, to help ground you. Make is simple. “God’s got this!” or “The joy of the Lord is my strength” are a couple I use often. Sometimes, just saying a few simple words grounded in God’s goodness will distract our minds and take us off the path of destruction…which is surely where our minds lead us if the are governed by the flesh. These little joy or peace mantras can be kept in your pocket at all times. They make for great weapons of combat.
5. Give God the glory with our minds and bodies
I can pretty much sum this one up with the quick adage: Just because we can look at/say/think/believe something, doesn’t mean we should. When we see him as our PRIZE, and we choose to fix our mind and eyes on him, we are among his presence.
This may be the best place to add that before entering this holy, sacred ground of being in His presence, it’s always a good idea to repent first. Entering into his presence with a humbled, lowly heart posture allows us to recognize his power, providence and sovereignty over our lives. And this opens our hearts and allows him to fill us. This is a good place to dwell.
6. “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
You can’t be in two places at one time. How, then, can our minds and hearts be anywhere else if we are always rejoicing, praying and giving thanks?
These three commands can easily be integrated into everything we do, every single day, all day long. Having breakfast? Meeting a friend? Noticing a beautiful cloud formation? Hearing an emotional song? Thinking of a sick friend? Feeling anxious about a doctor’s appointment? Needing a break? Getting a break? Getting a hug from your child? In all of these things, you can choose one or more of these commands to practice. And just like the advice I give my kids that I mentioned above, the more we practice doing them, the better we get at them. The better we get at them, the more we dwell in the presence of the Lord.
7. Ask others to pray for and over you
Recently, my husband and I prayed over a mom going through something very hard, something very similar to what we have gone/are going through. As we began praying, it was almost as if the Lord was providing the words, as it truly seemed to be what she needed to hear. She became emotional, and had a hard time speaking through the emotions afterwards. I know this exact experience. When others have earnestly prayed over us and our challenges, interceding to the Lord on our behalf, we feel God in a way that we don’t when we pray on our own. It’s a sweet place, where we feel seen, and held. Where we can dwell and feel His comfort, His wings covering us.
8. Get up and do it all over again. And again. And again. Always.
Make a plan to. The more you do this, the easier it becomes. It’s that important.
We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. – Hebrews 2:1
Questions for Reflection
Are you finding time to dwell in the Lord and his word daily? If not, what plans might you need to make to ensure you can?
Make a list of any sins with which you are currently struggling. Be honest with yourself. Ask the Lord to reveal a truth from his word to address each sin struggle and write them down, too. Be ready to use these truths as weapons of combat the next time you struggle.
Which of the eight ideas listed above are you most interested in trying or improving upon with your current practice?
Public Service Announcement: Hermit Crabs and Trash
While researching how to help a hermit crab out of its shell, I discovered some shockingly sad news. According to a recent study in the Journal of Hazardous Materials, an estimated 570,000 hermit crabs die after climbing into plastic debris, confusing it for empty shells every year.6
What’s even more disturbing, is that when they crawl into some of these garbage dwellings, and they get stuck or dehydrated and die, they emit an odor that attracts others to them and more and more crawl into the same garbage and die.
In one story I read, researchers were collecting data and determining the average number of dead hermit crabs in plastic bottles. Nine was the average, except one wide-mouthed bottle was found to contain 526 dead hermit crabs. Death traps, for sure.7
What can we do? Every time we go to the beach, bring a small trash bag and use it to discard your own trash and trash that you find on the beach. If you have your bucket while walking along the beach hunting for shells, pick up the garbage and put them in your bucket. Discard them when you get to a trash can.
Also, use reusable drinking bottles to help reduce the use of plastic.
“For the word of God is alive and active. Shaper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” - Hebrews 4:12 (NIV)
“He who fails to plan, is planning to fail.” - Winston Churchill
“As they continued their journey, he entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him. She had a sister named Mary who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak. Martha, burdened with much serving, came up to him and said, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me.’” The Lord said to her in reply, ‘Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.’” - Luke 10: 38-42
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things.” - Philippians 4:8
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God”. - Ephesians 6:10-17
Very relatable. Thank you for taking the hard work/time to share this.