They Found Me...I Don't Know How, But They Found Me

Squash Beetles! Here's a little description of what this nasty bug does: Adults and nymphs of squash bugs damage plants by sucking plant juices from the leaves. Further, they inject a toxin that causes the plants to wilt, blacken, and die back. Now, come on. That's not playing fair! If you are going to suck the juices of my hard-earned squash plants, the least you could do is leave the plant alive for me! No, instead you inject your poison and kill it. DEAD.


I thought I was immune to such insects, and that they would take pity on me, a first-timer. Our plants look nice and healthy, and are doing well at producing some pretty squash. But, today I got a sneaking suspicion that I should examine my plants a bit closer. Sure enough, I found and killed three adult bugs, and disposed of dozens of eggs. Squash bugs lay eggs in masses of a dozen or more on the underside of leaves, usually in the vein axils. Eggs hatch in 10 to 14 days. I only hope I'm not too late and they haven't hatched already and gotten to my plants!

I don't want to turn this into a preachy post, but I was so surprised today (while scraping eggs off of the leaves) at how much this gardening experience has taught me about the gospel. No, I'm not crazy and I'm not suffering from heat stroke. Bear with me. Satan is that nasty squash bug. Not only does he want what he can't have (body, human experiences, eternal life) and hasn't earned, he wants to make us miserable like he is. He wants to use us and then leave us (spiritually) dead. He attacks where he thinks we won't see, or where we won't notice (the underside of the leaf), and starts out small an innocent. You should see the size of these eggs - literally the size of a mustard seed! If gone unchecked, those eggs would have hatched into something bigger and much more destructive, and then where do they go? Straight to the soul of the plant!

I'm also amazed at how MAD this is making me! I feel so responsible for these plants, and I want them to live and survive and...well, I want to eat squash all summer, that's what! Anyway, I was just out there in the heat of the summer, scraping squash bore beetle eggs off the underside of the leaves and putting them in a pail! Then, I hunted around the shadows of the plant to find the nasty adults sipping their lemonade in the shade! From what I've read, I have to be "vigilant" and "check" my plants every day (daily repentance, prayer, etc.) in order for them to make it.

I'm also amazed at how much closer to home the allegory of the tame and wild olive trees (Jacob 5) seems to me now, and how our Father in Heaven and Christ must feel when we stray, and how much they want to see us thrive and flourish and return to Them. I'm sure there are many more profound thoughts about this topic, but I've got to go destroy those eggs. This is WAR.