Earlier this year, a video of tiny white worms coming out of strawberries plunged in saltwater went viral. The video starts with a person taking a tray of fresh strawberries and then soaking them in a saltwater bath for about 30 minutes. After that time, it appears wormlike bugs start to emerge from the strawberries.
Horrified at the possibility, people started to ask what are these wormy bugs and why are they crawling out of strawberries? Most importantly, is the fresh fruit safe to eat? It turns out these tiny, whitish worms are the maggots of a fly, commonly known as spotted wing drosophila (SWD). The SWD fly can lay eggs inside undamaged ripe berry fruits due to its serrated egg-laying device, an ovipositor.
According to entomologists, the female fly lays its eggs inside the ripe fruit, and the resulting maggots hatch and continue feeding inside the fruit. For the most part, the maggots go largely undetected during harvest. Furthermore, it seems farmers have to contend with SWD and various other pests during the growing season.
In most cases, the specialists said that fresh market produce and stored grains have some insect infestation that is impossible to eliminate. For this reason, they advise to thoroughly wash the produce. One doctor added that “Although the sight of translucent worms crawling out of a fresh strawberry fruit might not be appealing, there are no known ill effects of eating them”. He went on to further say that “There’s no proof that consuming a few maggots with your fruit has any negative health effects. In fact, if you accidentally consumed some maggots, all you did was get some extra animal protein in your salad or fruit shake.
This story reminds me of the hard truth Jesus gave his followers, which some found disgusting to hear. When Jesus told them they needed to eat his flesh and drink his blood, many walked away. Jesus spoke in such a strong manner in order to evoke belief beyond what they literally understood. He wanted 100% commitment regardless if it made total sense at the moment.
Today think about the things Jesus is asking you to do. Do His requests drive you away in disappointment or closer in commitment?
Daily Directive:
Answer and Journal the Following
Read:
Read and meditate on John 6:53-55.
Pray:
What things has Jesus ask you to do that make your scared or uncomfortable? Pray and ask God to reveal these to you.
Meditate / Make It Real:
Determine how will follow in obedience regardless of how you feel. How will you start to carry out what he’s asking of you?
Share / Show:
Share and show what you’ve learned with someone else.