New Shell

Last summer my sister bought B and Zac hermit crabs, complete with their own crabitat. I let Zac keep his in his room.  Zac never named his crab and rarely took care of it. Needless to say, Zac's unnamed crab went home to meet his maker earlier this year.

I was concerned about letting B keep his crab in his room so we kept him on the bar in the living room.  B named him Nemo.  Basically, I've cared for Nemo.  I clean his crabitat. I make sure he has food and water.  I spritz him from time to time.  There have been times that we thought Nemo was dead but we've managed to keep him alive 14 months now.  Yea us!

From the start we've kept extra shells in the cage.  I've wondered when Nemo would outgrow the shell he came with and start using one of the others.  When he stayed in his shell I, being a freak, I began to worry if the other shells were big enough for him. Was I stunting the growth and development of my hermit crab by not providing the appropriate shells!?!

Last night, I happen to look in on Nemo.  He was in one of the other shells!  Everyone gathered round the crabitat to check out his new duds.  I went to bed happy that I had provided what Nemo needed.

Cut to this morning...Nemo is back in his old shell.  What the What!?!

I can't read crab minds but I guess Nemo decided that the old shell was more comfortable.

Aren't we all a little like Nemo?  We'll try something new but not for too long.  We want to go back to what's comfortable.  Or what's easy.  If we were willing to stick to new things, dieting would be super easy.  So would working out.  We'd just change our habits and they'd stick right away.  No matter what life threw at us, we'd be eating well and working out.

I guess some people are like that, they can make a change and stick to it.  I'm not. I worked really hard in the spring to work out and eat better.  Then summer happened.  And now the fall is super crazy busy and I'm eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches at 4:30 for lunch, while I'm cooking dinner.

One of my favorite songs we sang at the church we went to when the older boys were little was called, "I will change your name"

I will change your name 

You shall no longer be called 

Wounded, outcast, lonely or afraid 

I will change your name 

Your new name shall be

Confidence, joyfulness, overcoming oneFaithfulness, friend of God 

One who seeks My face

Is that awesome!?! God gives us a new name.  Even when we think the old shell might be better, He still calls us His and let's us return to him!

I'm interested to see if Nemo stays in his old shell or returns to the new one.  I'll keep you updated.

Here's the song.  We sang it a little more upbeat and without the rounds, but the message is the same.