Battle of the Dust

This year more than most, it seems I’m buried in dust! When Hubby notices, and even remarks about it, I know it’s reached a drastic state. What happened to the young bride who diligently dusted, vacuumed and cleaned every Wednesday on her day off? Granted, back then we lived in a small, two bedroom apartment with limited furnishings. But on Wednesdays without fail, I tended to our tiny homestead, polishing every surface whether it needed it or not.

How about you? Do household chores get pushed to the wayside of your week? Life is so complex and the demands of family and work leave little energy for home maintenance. In my life, the tasks of cooking, laundry and dealing with the barrage of weekly paperwork, relegates dusting is the lowest spot on my priority list. Pretty sad, especially since I’m allergic to dust. Maybe that’s why I don’t like to “kick it up,” and why I subconsciously hope it will take care of itself. By the way, where’s my personal housekeeping fairy when I need her?

So last Saturday my husband and I tackled a dusting job I had ignored for more months than I care to count: the venetian blinds! He used the vacuum cleaner and I attacked with a damp cloth. In the midst of our labors, biblical thoughts about dust came to mind. Here are a couple to ponder.

“Then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature. Genesis 2:7” Then after Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, God said “By the sweat of your brow will you have food to eat until you return to the ground from which you were made. For you were made from dust, and to dust you will return. Genesis 3:19”

Still, in times of trouble God remembers we are weak and need His help. The Psalmist wrote “As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust. Psalm 103:13-14”

Finishing up our spring cleaning task, I was grateful for God’s constant care; thankful that He knows I am just a dust bunny. And yet, I also felt a pang of conviction. The layer of dust covering the blinds and bookcases in my home was an illustration of how I can allow my spirit to be dulled to the things of God. I don’t want to miss what He has for me, or worse, become foolish in my thinking because of what I’ve allowed to settle on my heart. The battle of the dust reminded me that my soul needs regular tending to as well. Thank you Lord for this timely reminder and your cleansing power! Amen.