a plants main job…
Overheard:
“I have been thinking about the seasonality of our food after a conversation with a new [CSA] member. She was wondering why the Bok Choi came and went so quickly. A plant’s main job is to produce seed for the next generation. The plant matures and then tries to complete their cycle and put out their seed head if we do not pick and eat it first.” Deb Kavakos, Farmer
Farming is tough work. Well, “roofing” is a more apt description in my case. Where there’s life, there’s pests. Here on our Chelsea rooftop, I’m
pixar's adorable little "aphie"
fighting birds and aphids mostly. Voracious emerald-green aphids feast on broccoli and pepper plants. Pixar cast the aphid as “Aphie” — the adorable little bug like harmless puppy Zoe.
little green vampire, image: oneil
Pixar got their casting all wrong. In reality, Aphids are merciless vampires. They literally suck the juice out of leaves and stems. You don’t see aphids when you look at the plant because they cling camouflaged under leaves. Deprived of juices, leaves shrivel and plants literally dehydrate. I check the garden a few days a week or the aphids take over.
Spiritually, I think we do well to ask the Lord to check us for life pests that we can’t see. Most likely, we won’t see the buggers ourselves.
What are they practically? Well, that varies for each person. There’s no guide. There’s the obvious blights like lust, greed, pride, hate, well you get the drift.
But there’s the not so obvious “good” like work, exercise, fellowship, and ack, if you can believe it Bible study. Somehow, we can turn anything into a life-suck. Anything preventing us from maturing also gets at the fruit of the Spirit and the good gospel seed.
Ask the Lord about it, and remember your main job.
headzup via grace
