Lessons From an Earthworm

I rescued two large earthworms today.

They were trying to get across the path I walk each morning. To most this is probably an insignificant event, but to me it is quite the opposite.

Few realize how important the lowly earthworms are to us. They aerate the soil and provide access to the earth for rain, air, and other small creatures.

If you walk in the forest, you will find mounds of fallen leaves in the autumn but very few in the spring. This is thanks to earthworms.

An earthworm basically takes in vegetation and processes it into humus. One year, my young son Steve adopted an earthworm. Herman was moved into one of my flowerpots. Periodically Steve would dump out the contents of the pot and admire Herman. In the spring, I insisted that Herman be set free. Steve and I discovered several little casings that turned out to be mini Hermans. One large worm went into the pot and exited along with many little wormlets. We learned that baby worms are released as tiny eggs into the soil.

Eventually they hatch and grow into large earthworms. I read about a man who bought a piece of worthless ground. People told him how foolish he was, but he paid no attention. He dug up the ground, buried vegetable scraps in it, and added earthworms. After a year or two, he had a garden that produced more food than he could use.

He set up a market stand and quickly recovered the cost of his project. Suddenly people took notice of his methods, and he became recognized as a gardening expert. This story makes me consider our thoughts. One thought can often “hatch” into little thoughts that, if nurtured, will grow into grand new ideas. My gardener friend certainly used his one thought to profit many. While I do not think Solomon wrote about the value of earthworms, he certainly could have. Proverbs and Ecclesiastes are filled with many valuable life lessons that can be learned from nature. Solomon did notice ants. When he says, “Go to the ant . . . observe its ways and be wise” (Proverbs 6:6, NASB), we should pay attention. And now, perhaps we can add “consider the earthworm” to Solomon’s list.

Patricia Cove