The story of the earthworm

A few weeks ago, I went out for a run. It was a beautiful spring day, just after some heavy rains. I went out on the rail trail nearby, one of my favorite paths to run.

As I was returning toward home, I saw two little girls up ahead, huddled together and looking at something on the asphalt trail. When I got next to them, I stopped, hoping I wouldn’t alarm them (I don’t think I did!). I asked them what they were looking at.

One of the girls pointed to an earthworm that was on the trail, and said, “It’s a big worm, and my friend named it and said it’s her pet!”

After a pause, I said, “You know, worms come out when it rains. If that worm stays on this trail, when the sun comes out and it gets hot, he’ll dry up and die. But, if you pick him up and put him back over in the dirt on the side of the trail, he’ll be okay.”

The little girl who had talked to me paused for a moment, then she bent down and picked that worm up, carried him over to the side, and put him into the dirt.

I said, “Good job, girls. You just saved his life.” I then continued on my run.

I thought about that short encounter quite a bit afterward. I wondered why earthworms crawl out onto paved areas after it rains. After a bit of research, I found out that they breathe through their skin, and they can get oxygen from the air that exists even underground in their burrows. But when it rains, the water fills the burrows and the air gaps, they can’t get enough oxygen, and they come to the surface so they can breathe and not suffocate from the storm. They crawl out onto a paved surface and become confused about where their burrows are, and don’t know how to get back.

Sometimes the same kind of thing happens to us. The storms of life beat on us, and overwhelm us, and we feel suffocated. Those storms can include fear and anxiety about the future, disappointment in things we hoped would happen, strained or broken relationships, worry about our financial situation, the weight of our mistakes and failings, and the relentless voices of the world that try to throw doubt on our faith and the things we believe in. In our attempt to escape these storms, we try to get away but may end up in a place that is far more dangerous and could ultimately destroy us.

It is my unwavering testimony that there is One who will always be there for us, who will pick us up and carry us to safety. Our Savior, Jesus Christ, loves us and cares about every single one of us. He has gone through every kind of storm, sorrow, and pain that we could imagine, and wants to rescue and comfort us. Our Heavenly Father loves us infinitely more than we understand and stands ready to help us as we turn to Him and seek His guidance and love.

Often, that help comes through other people. We may not be able to easily see the pain and difficulty that someone else is going through – “sorrow that the eye can’t see.” That’s why it is so important to live our lives so that we can be worthy of the influence of the Holy Ghost, so that we can be prompted to give aid and comfort to someone who may so desperately need it.

May we all remember to reach out to the Savior of the World and our loving Heavenly Father when we feel overwhelmed and suffocated by the storms of life, and in turn help those who need that same love and aid. If we hold onto the iron rod, and continue to press forward through the storms, there is hope and brightness and joy ahead.