Tag Archives: organic gardening

In Praise Of Gracie, My Red Wiggler Compost Worm

                  This is my friend Gracie. She is a red wiggler worm that lives in our compost bin. She’s a hard worker and important part of our household.  Recently I’ve been telling her what she does is a rich metaphor for the spiritual power of grace.  I asked her if I could tell you her story. She agreed but wants you to know that all the spiritual talk is not her idea, but stuff I’ve made up.

                  Her story begins seventeen years ago when I decided to explore organic gardening. I read articles and attended classes. I planted a variety of heirloom tomatoes.  I experimented with lettuces, beans and peas.  And I created my first worm composting bin.  I don’t do much gardening anymore, but I’ve stuck with the worms.

                  Let me tell you why Gracie and her clan are so amazing:

  • Unlike other pets, you start with one batch (donated by a friend or purchased at a nursery), and you never have to get new ones; they just keep reproducing.
  • You never have to take them to the vet or pay for vaccinations or neutering.
  • They work around the clock in total silence – no barking.
  • They don’t scratch on your door to get out or damage your furniture.
  • They don’t poop on your lawn.
  • You never have to take them to a groomer.
  • You can leave them at home when you go on vacation – no need to hire a Worm-sitter.
  • You never have to buy food for them. They survive on scraps and garbage. Here’s a sample of what I give them: coffee grounds, coffee filters, stale bread, expired tortillas, broccoli stems, banana peels, apple cores, asparagus ends, abandoned quesadillas, moldy cheese, watermelon that has exceeded its firm stage of life, and used paper towels.
  • While Gracie’s clan does much of their work on their own, they do need to be fed and lightly watered occasionally to keep making compost and new worms.  And they don’t like food that’s too acidic.
  • You’ve heard the phrase from computer people, “Garbage in, garbage out?” Not so with compost worms.  They take what you give them and turn it into what organic gardeners call “black gold” – a pure, dark organic compost that is full of all kinds of nutrients for plants.  You can let the material dry and spread it. Or you can shovel it into a bucket and fill it with water and let it soak; in a day or two, you have “worm tea” that can be sprayed or poured around the base of your flowers, vegetables and fruit trees.  Gracie and her gang have their own motto: “Garbage In, Gold Out.”
  • The #1 most amazing thing to me is that if any of material they are given contains organic toxins or harmful bacteria, the compost they create is free of any undesirable elements.  They’re not afraid of anything.  “Give that stuff to me,” Gracie says, “I’ll take all the bad stuff out and give it all a second chance to be something worthwhile in the world.”

Here’s a photo of Gracie’s Clan at work:

                  Now we can turn to the spiritual meaning of composting worms.

                  When I talk about grace here, I’m thinking of the divine spiritual force known as agape, which transcends all our pettiness; it simultaneously humbles us and fills us with a quiet joy.  I’m also thinking of the Buddhist concept of deep compassion, which can help us see, accept and deal with whatever comes our way. 

                  The way spiritual grace works is that it can take all the stuff of your life – the good decisions and the bad, the traits you like about yourself and those you don’t, your victories and defeats – and turn it all into something useful and positive.

  • Once you first experience it – once you realize you’re forgiven for your mistakes, that you are loved despite your imperfections, and that you’re always being drawn forward into your future and not chained to your past – you find a kind of inner freedom that you didn’t know was possible. 
  • You don’t have to pay for it. It’s free.
  • If you keep turning to it and trusting, it will work silently within you whether you are awake or are sleep.
  • It will never leave you…it’s with you forever.
  • You may forget it’s there, but it will never forget you.
  • It doesn’t make messes – it cleans them up.
  • It can do most of its work on its own.  But it does become stronger when we engage in certain activities, like long walks in nature, taking time for music and art, quiet time in meditation and contemplation, conversations about life with trusted and caring friends, participating in uplifting worship services, and actively serving others.
  • When given a chance, the right conditions, and enough time, it can take really bad stuff and take the poison out; “Garbage In, Grace Out.”

There is a legend that St. Francis offered sermons to the birds, and they listened attentively. I tell Gracie all the ways in which I think she symbolizes grace, but I don’t think she’s listening. She’s too busy making all things new.

Gracie’s House (she’s been working at home long before COVID and Zoom)

For a more detailed explanation of what Gracie’s Clan is about, go to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vermicompost