Survival

Some time back, a shrub in the garden was stripped bare by a team of 4 very large, but beautiful Death's Head Hawk Moth caterpillars, and I thought that it would surely die. Within a week of the devastation, tiny buds appeared all over the shrub and within 2 weeks it was restored to even better than its former glory. Such is the survival instinct of nature.

Since then, my Parrot/Dragonflower creeper has been subjected to the same treatment by tiny black hairy caterpillars, leaving long strings of bare stalks trailing all over the place. And now I see the tree fuchsia and another shrub are showing signs of leaf chompers at work. I thought how disappointing it must be for these plants to have put all that effort into new shoots at the beginning of summer, only to find themselves under attack from a predator with no defence. Yet, once again, close inspection reveals new life budding from the wounds of battle.

It becomes obvious from these instances of renewal that the eating of the leaves by caterpillars enables them to continue their lifecycle, while the plants appear to benefit by starting afresh with new, healthy growth after an enforced 'rest' period. And it occurred to me that in our human lives, we should take a lesson from nature.

When life appears to have stripped you bare, if you can accept what is and not give up all hope, your inner strength will rise up like sap in the plants and allow you to have a fresh start all over again, that may lead you to an even better life than you thought possible at the time of your lowest ebb.

I think it could be referred to as being rooted in faith.