In my early childhood, we lived in an end-unit townhome of a bustling little town in Northern Virginia. Being in a neighborhood where the homes touched each other didn’t stop Grandaddy from pursuing his love of home grown veggies and he became a master of container gardening.
Our fence backed up to about 15 feet of woods before opening into the next crowded subdivision. We had a tiny back-yard, covered patio, faded deck, and the ultimate bunny paradise (more on that later).
On each stair leading up to the deck from the yard there were tomato and pepper plants evenly spaced and beautifully staked. No lack of space was going to keep him from a toasted ‘mater sammich!
Grandaddy always had a way of teaching me all about life through nature. I remember my first real, conceptual image of Jesus hanging on the cross as described using the soft pink petals of a dogwood flower. I can still smell the raw tobacco wafting from his shirt pocket as he knelt down on his knees bringing the open soft pack of Marlboro Reds right to nose level. That day I learned how nails were driven into my precious Savior’s hands and feet.
About that same time, he introduced me to what I would come to know as the enemy. One who came to steal, kill and destroy….our tomato plants. He called them “horned devils” and I knew immediately by the tone in his voice when he stumbled upon one that they were bad news.
Tomato hornworms are the larva of hawk moths; giant brown moths that can rival a bumble bee with the way they stop and hover. As a homesteader, creatures with the words devil, hawk, horned or pest in their names have become my nemeses. I remember in the summertime sitting on the deck steps and pouring over Grandaddy’s plants trying to find these nasty beasts. Back when I had the fearlessness of youth, I’d pluck them off with my bare hands.
A single “horned devil” can destroy an entire tomato plant in days. They are merciless. What’s worse, you can often find them covered in white “spikes”. I later learned these are parasitic wasp larva devouring the worm before hatching **insert screaming face emoji here** I can’t fully wrap my head around posts like this, noting the benefits of more wasps – they must not keep honeybees!
On the homestead, I’ve made it a point to use our adventures as a way of teaching my children about the Lord, all while creating memories that (I hope) will last a lifetime for them. Nature is a perfect place to start learning about God and life if we just slow down and observe all that’s been left for us . There are clear examples of truth and beauty and love found everywhere. But the enemy is also everywhere…even in the garden.
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