One day I was going on and on about all the problems I was worrying about when my companion suddenly grabbed a small ball off a shelf and threw it to me.  Though surprised I caught it, and as I looked it over I realized it resembled a globe.  He said, “Why don’t you just put that on your shoulders?”  He was smiling and I got his point.  I was acting like I had the whole world on my shoulders, like I was the one who was in control of everything, and if I stopped – even long enough to sleep- something was going to get out of whack, I was going to miss something and the world would go terribly wrong. 

Years later I read these verses:

As a father has compassion on his children
So the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;
For he knows how we are formed,
He remembers that we are dust.
Psalm 103:13-14 (NIV)
 
"We are Dust..."

I might not remember where I came from, but God does.  He easily remembers the day He formed Adam out of the dust of the ground and breathed His own life into his nostrils.  God is Creator.  He is the All-powerful One.  He is not expecting me to come through with the solutions to all the world's problems.  He is not disappointed I don't have everything under control; that is His job.  He has compassion on me as His created child.  He remembers what I always forget, that I am limited and the whole world is not on my shoulders, but in His powerful hands.
 
How to be dust:

Dust has to trust.

I need to trust that God is in control, even when it doesn’t seem like it.  Prayer seems to help the trusting.  Prayer that isn’t reminding God of what my plans are and asking Him to hurry up and solve things the way I think they should be solved, but prayer that is open-ended… Inviting God to come and do as He wills.  Prayer that acknowledges that God is All-powerful, All-knowing and fabulously good… that He knows and does best.  And then I have to discipline myself not to worry and fret my dusty self over that which I have left in God’s all-powerful hands. 

 
This article is part of the Life Lessons Series
Copyright 2010 Jeri Howe
Use only with permission
jeri@jerihowe.com

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