Life's Leaf Rollers

One of the hobbies I have taken up in the past several years is gardening, and in September, I planted my fall garden, full of squash. They grew beautifully with large, lush green leaves, and I was excited for the harvest. Imagine my surprise, then, when one day I went out and discovered that several plants were demolished, with only stringy veins left visible and the rest on the verge of collapse as well. What happened seemingly overnight? The dreaded leaf roller – the caterpillar of several moth species.

These small and yet vicious animals roll themselves up in a leaf that protects them while they eat away at the healthy fibers of the plant, and they do so quickly. The only way to get rid of them is to kill them in the act. Literally squash them between the leaves and pray you got them all, as they can be hard to notice. Thinking my plants were done for the season, I consulted the gardening expert at our church. Interestingly, she told me to keep the squash planted. If the caterpillars did not fully kill the plant, it would once again sprout leaves and bear fruit. She was right. By leaving my few squash plants in the ground, they began to regenerate over time, and tiny, healthy squash started to grow. We just needed to keep an eye out for these pesky critters.

Life, too, is full of leaf rollers that move in unexpectedly through the course of life, whether through trauma, unexpected illnesses, bad news, and more. Before you know it, your healthy spirit can become devastated by bitterness, resentment, and sometimes unforgiveness. They roll up into you, and you may even enjoy the warmth of the cocoon they create, but they are killing you from within. These must be dealt with violently with no remorse if you are to recover any hope of bearing fruit.

It’s not easy, either. Sometimes it comes up suddenly because you allowed your devotional life to fade as you tried valiantly to keep your head above water. Yet your life finds its strength in the secret place of prayer and meditation on the Word. Whatever situation you’re facing today, no matter how difficult, God remains unchanged. His character and nature are intact, and we find peace in who He is – our ever-faithful Lord. When you look in the mirror and do not recognize yourself or the situation you are in, trust in who He is and hide yourself there. Psalm 91 tells us, “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty” (Ps. 91:1 NASB95). When life tries to roll over you, remember you dwell in His secret place, overshadowed by His presence. We serve a God who neither slumbers nor sleeps (Ps. 121:4). He is watching over you, guarding you, and speaking peace to Your storm. You will come through on the other side and bear fruit if you will diligently guard against the leaf rollers of life.

“This We Know,” a song from 2016 by Vertical Worship, declares this beautifully, stating,

You are who You say You are

You’ll do what You say You’ll do

You’ll be who You’ve always been to us

Jesus

Our hope is in You alone

Our strength in Your mighty name

Our peace in the darkest day remains

Jesus

The chorus goes on:

This we know

We will see the enemy run

This we know

We will see the victory come

We hold onto every promise You ever made

Jesus, You are unfailing