Lessons From A... Worm?

Tomato Hornworm

     Manduca quinquemaculata.  This creepy, little insect is more commonly referred to as the Tomatoes Hornworm, and for those of my readers who garden, you probably know exactly what I am talking about.  These giant, green worms can easily grow as large and thick as your index finger!

    They are beautiful… in an odd and creepy sort of way.  Their white stripes and blended yellow spots add a creative distinction to this worm… though with its’ size, I doubt we can confuse it with the common inch worm (which are rarely an inch long).  

Five-Spotted Hawk Moth

     Throughout the years of gardening we have encountered more than one of these giant spectacles.  If left alone, they make a cocoon and change into what is commonly known as the Five-Spotted Hawk Moth.  As you might expect, these moths are quite large compared to ordinary Miller Moths.  We have observed them in our flower garden, darting from one flower to another for a brief sip of nectar.

     Until they become their more useful adult version, they eat almost nonstop, stripping tomato plants and sometimes causing serious damage.  I remember one year we had quite a number of them to be found among the tomato plants.  It was also the year we planted the chilies next to the tomato plants.  I remember looking through the chili plants one day and noting that one particular plant was missing several large leaves.

    A few more minutes of looking and I discovered the culprit.  A giant Tomato Hornworm was hanging upside-down looking quite smug with his handiwork (if worms can look smug).  But wait… this was a Tomato Hornworm… so what was it doing eating my chili plant?  I later discovered after research on the internet that not only does this worm eat chili leaves, but it can also feast on potato leaves, pepper leaves, and eggplant leaves (though this is completely on rare occasions and no one really knows why they change diets).  Needless to say, I didn’t kill it… I mean who could kill a rare Tomato Hornworm eating chili?

    As long as the worm continued to eat from several plants and spared enough leaves so as not to harm the plant, I would consider them as my little pruning machines.  After all, they do mature into a pollinating moth… which is quite beneficial for the plants, if they survive the caterpillar’s immense appetite it's younger stage.

    As always, I am a little fascinated with these giant worms and I have to spend several moments watching them.  As I watched the Tomato Hornworm, gone chili worm, I noticed another one of his friends eating leaves from the tomato plant.  What was the difference between their diets, I wondered… how did it affect them?  I remembered that Tomato Hornworms usually smell like… well, tomatoes.  I wondered if the change of diet affected the smell of the Tomato Hornworm eating chili.

    Some of you may be trying to picture this in your minds, so before you try to imagine me picking the worm and holding it to my nose for a good whiff, let me put your fears to rest.  I ended up finding a small stick and a plastic container.  With some maneuvering I was able to drop the little creature into the container and I took him to a distant sidewalk for further observation.

    These worms are large, and they have quite a distinct odor which you can smell even from a little bit of a distance.  It wasn’t long before I could smell him, we were far enough away from the plants for me to know that it wasn’t the chili plant I was smelling.  These worms definitely smell like what they eat, but that wasn’t the only difference.  The one eating chili leaves was shades darker than the one eating tomatoes.

    It isn’t normal for Tomato Hornworms to eat chili leaves; it is extremely rare and unusual for them to change their natural diet, which made me wonder why this worm had made the switch… there was still plenty of tomato plants, he could have found a home in any one of those.

    Now you might be asking, okay so what is the lesson the worm gave you?  Well, it was just the amazing fact that depending on what they ate affected the way the worms looked and smelled.  So if the difference is that obvious in worms, what about humans?  I am not talking about natural food now… but spiritual.

     God gave us His very best to nurture our spirits and help us grow properly.  He gave His Word, His Love, His Mercy, and so many other things to encourage our relationship with Him.  But sometimes, people are not satisfied with these things and they go looking for something “new”, something different.  It isn’t supposed to be a part of our diet but somehow they adapt to it.

    Our spirits feed on something.  Every day, we make choices: what we read, what we watch on TV, what music we listen to, etc.  We desire certain things and it all shows.   We usually surround ourselves by things we like.  By looking at a person’s appearance and what they surround themselves with, you can definitely tell what is important to them.  After a while, they start adopting some of the attitudes, manners, and characteristic of the things they have come to like.

     Doubtless, you all know what I am talking about.  The things we see, watch, listen, and experience will affects us.  We definitely pursue the things we like or admire, it is just human nature.  Taking a glance at people (and yes I know you can’t always tell a book by its cover, but it is a good start), we can usually tell what they are interested in or a little bit about their personality.

    Knowing this, we should be especially careful as to what we pursue.  If we are trying are best to be Christians, Christ-like, then we should be trying to give every appearance of it as well.  We shouldn’t want to look or act like the world.  We were not meant to become a part of the world, but to change the world… and you can’t change it when you are the same as everyone else: lost and searching for something (most don’t know what).  We should be willing to stick with the natural diet God has given us so that our faith and relationship with Him will continue to be strengthened.  He has given us the best food, His Word!  What more could we want?