Caterpillar Time!

Psalm 34:19-20
The righteous person may have many troubles,
but the Lord delivers him from them all;
he protects all his bones,
not one of them will be broken.

It's August, and that means caterpillar time!  This year, the ravenous little creatures locate themselves in the oak tree above our back deck.  The evidence of their existence drops from the sky and peppers the deck's surface.

What a mess!

Within weeks of the unwanted arrival of caterpillar scat, something else descends onto the deck.  The caterpillars themselves!

Perhaps too satiated from their constant feasting, they can no longer cling to their homes in the leaves.

Most alarming, though, is the thudding sound these creatures make when they hit the deck with a sickening whack.  Oof!  They lie there, stunned and still for up to hours, leaving us to wonder if they are going to rouse from their stupor, or simply give up the ghost right there.

But God has imbued them with a resiliency that is nothing short of miraculous.  As we observe the seemingly dead forms, we see a twitch here, a raised head there, and before we know it, the caterpillars are cruising along the deck without a care in the world, and no worse for wear.

There are those times in our lives as Christians when bad news knocks the wind out of us, leaving us stunned and immobile, feeling hopeless and helpless in light of our situation.  But God won't leave us broken and alone.  He is right there with us to comfort, to heal, to restore us to fullness of life once again.  Sure, it might take some time, a lot more time than it does for our little friends on the deck, but healing will happen when we invite the light of Jesus to shine within us.

The Lord will certainly deliver us.

Amen!