My morning walks are filled with amazing sights— the sun rising over a foggy embankment, the new puppy walking for the first time on his leash, and the sounds of birds. But they are also about seeing the ordinary in extraordinary ways.

It was a cool morning. We had showers throughout the night, which always seem to wake up the animals nearby. The birds sang louder than usual, feral cats prowled and climbed along the fence line, and earthworms were trying to make their way across the sidewalk. And their activity brought back a memory.

I often feel like the young boy in the starfish story. You probably know it: a boy walks along the seashore, trying to toss starfish back into the ocean. He sees hundreds of them washed ashore while an older man asks, “What are you doing?” The boy replies, “I’m tossing the starfish back into the sea.” The man says, “But there are so many. You can’t possibly save them all.” The boy responds, “I can save this one,” and tosses it back into the water.

That morning, I focused on earthworms trying to cross the sidewalk and decided to help as many as I could. One caught my eye—the earthworm crossing from the crosswalk into the street. As I bent down to pick him up, he wriggled, jerked, and convulsed, trying to escape my hand and get back on the ground. I had to work hard to keep him safe until I could get him to the grass. Several times, his jiggling almost sent him flying onto the concrete, but I managed to catch him in mid-air. That moment turned an ordinary act—a worm crossing the road—into a powerful lesson.

There have been times when God gently lifted me up and tried to help me move from risky situations to a safe place. Honestly, I struggled and fought back because I thought I had a better plan. I believed my way could get me there faster and without depending on my Heavenly Father. But really, it almost led me to crash into life’s hard surfaces. I wrongly thought that being protected by His arms was confinement, and at times, I pushed Him away.

It’s hard to admit that an earthworm’s fight for survival is so similar to my rejecting God’s guidance. And before you think this analogy doesn’t relate to your life, take a moment to answer these questions:

• Have you ever heard God’s gentle whisper encouraging you in a specific direction, but ignored it?
• Have you found yourself struggling with a situation, asking trusted friends or family for advice, but not praying for God’s guidance?
• In times of crisis, anxiety, or fear, do you scroll social media or ask Google instead of turning to your Bible?

If you answered yes to any of these, you might have some earthworm tendencies.

But here’s the good news: God still sees you, cares about you, and will never leave you. Even when you push Him away or try to face the world alone, He remains faithful.

And here’s the most profound part of this little rough-and-tumble lesson: most of the time, we don’t even realize we’re rejecting Him.

Just like my earthworm friend, we can react emotionally to our problems without pausing to breathe, pray, and follow God’s guidance. Instead, we rely on our self-sufficiency and end up hurting ourselves trying to handle everything on our own. Meanwhile, God stays close by, watching and waiting, eager to wrap His loving arms around us and remind us that everything will be okay.

My wiggly friend never stopped struggling, even after he reached the cool, damp grass. That image will stay with me.

Lord, help me surrender to Your loving care and trust that You are always near.

Be blessed,