Our Daily Bread: DUST ART

Julie Ackerman Link

DUST ART

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READ: Genesis 2:1-7

The Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. – Genesis 2:7 ==================================================================

When God chose dust as His artistic medium to create Adam (Gen. 2:7), He didn't have to worry about running out of material. According to Hannah Holmes, author of The Secret Life of Dust, "Between 1 and 3 billion tons of desert dust fly up into the sky annually. One billion tons would fill 14 million boxcars in a train that would wrap up six times around the Earth's equator."

No one has to buy dust, for we all have more than we want. I ignore it as long as I can in my house. My reasoning is this: If I don't disturb it, It's not as noticeable. But eventually it accumulates to the point that I can no longer pretend it's not there. So I haul out my cleaning supplies and start removing it from wherever it has found a resting place.

As I remove the dust, I see myself reflected in the smooth surface. Then I see another thing: I see that God took something worthless, dust, and made it into something priceless - you and me and every other person (Gen 2:7).

The fact that God used dust to create humans makes me think twice about labeling someone or something worthless. Perhaps the very thing that I want to get rid of -  a person or problem that annoys me - is the artistic medium God has given to display His glory.  

Lord, too often I want to quickly ignore

or dismiss difficult people and circumstances.

Help me to be open to learn

from You through them and to see your glory.

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Being all fashioned of the self-same dust,

let us be merciful as well as just - Longfellow

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