Unto Dust
clipart courtesy of http://clipart-library.com/dusting-cliparts.html
Today I’m thinking about spring cleaning. Not that this is the only time I clean, but there seems to be something special about spring. It represents new beginnings, starting over, shaping things up, airing out rooms, and polishing furniture, not just passing over it with a feather mop.
I don’t like to dust. It’s not that difficult, but it seems so fruitless. If I dust on Monday the little particles sneak back on Tuesday and if I ignore them on Tuesday the pile is higher on Wednesday. And yet we can’t live in a cloud of dust. So I put off this uninspiring work one more day and then give in and just do it.
Maybe I could don a new attitude, remembering that God created humankind from dust and unto dust we shall return when our time on earth is over. Ah, and when that happens we will be with our dear Lord in spirit, no more pain or fear or crying or sickness.
When I look at life from that perspective I could actually respect dust for what it represents and reminds me of instead of despising its endless return. I’ll do that and maybe it will lighten this inevitable task. In fact, I might even start to appreciate it. 😊 What a thought!
“I used dust to make you,
    and when you die, you will become dust again” (Genesis 3:19 ERV)
As I read your thoughts it occurs to me that our new bodies will not be made of dust. It will be a substance eternal . As I was writing that, in the
background I realised the song that came
on the disc that was playing was. “ There will be peace in the valley for me. How fitting!
Today would have been my husband’s
97 th Birthday. He has been in heaven since 1999.
May the Lord’s comfort and healing balm be upon your heart Etta Mae. March 16th my father would have been 96 years old.
Wow! Today would have been your husband’s 97th. How blessed he is to be where we all want to be someday, even though you must surely miss him.
Karen your writing about the dust was so true. My home was cleaned from top to bottom on Saturday. Within less than 24 hours my dining room table had dust on it. Dust makes my face itch and I don’t like it I know it makes sense to have a good attitude about dusting and changing my thinking about it will help. It’s amazing how it takes more energy when I procrastinate than it does to do the job. Most of all, it’s the positive little things that I do consistently that help me to feel more peaceful.
That includes dusting.
Thanks, Sandy. I appreciate your perspective on this topic.
I had an immediate vision of the little Peanuts character that’s always dropping dust from his head and body. And how I know your feeling about dust continually filling up behind itself!
I can see you chuckling as you write “What a thought” – that you could appreciate what the dust represents and be grateful for it. Great perspective. Thank you Karen.
Thanks, Carol. I’m smiling at that image of Pigpen from the Peanuts strip. That’s funny.
Love it! I was always a good housekeeper and I guess one reason was the fact that my Mother was so busy doing church work, canning cooking doing laundry and with seven kids she was too tired! Bless her! We knew we were loved by her, however,and that was more important. Now that I am not able to do the cleaning I have to just overlook things that used to bother me. My first husband was very neat and everything had to be in it’s place. When he came home from work most days he would walk thru the living room and “check everything out” and if I had dusted and had not put a lamp, vase, whatever back in the same spot he would say: I see you dusted today”. Well, I caught on well and somedays when I did not want to dust and I did not think the furniture needed dusting I would just move things around a little!! Then he would come home and say: I see you dusted today” and I would say : “really, how can you tell?” then of course he would say things were not back where they usually were. NOW forgive me but I MUST share one of my ‘funny stories:
While I was visiting one of my husbands sister I said something about using the vacuum cleaner on my couch and she looked at me so funny and asked why in the world would I do that? I told her to get the dust off! She still questioned it so I just asked her if she thought the dust particles that are in the air said to each other, “don’t land on the couch or chair,just hit the tables!! She just looked at me and said NOW I will have to use my vacuum on the couch!! I think she could have hit me! HA!
By the way, I was allergic to dust for a while and we learned the small electric air filters did a great job filtering the air!
Thanks for another good one! Love, Margaret
Margaret, you always have a great story that’s relevant to my blogs. Amazing. This one about the dust on the couch really tickled me.
Two funny dust anecdotes: It’s been scientifically proven (and if you believe that, you must trust everything you read on the Internet ) that dust only builds up for two years. And someone once said: I don’t mind if you look at my dust, but please don’t write in it. I’m not a duster either, Karen, but now, thanks to you, I have a new respect for it.
Very cute, Judi. Thanks for sharing. These anecdotes made me smile.
I like clean future. I like to smell the cleaner too. The reason I do not like dust is, it has dust mites in it. but, praise God! we won’t know that about dust mites,
when we have turned back to dust!!!
This is cute, Mary. Thanks for sharing your comment. Brought a smile to my face.
sorry, I spelled furniture wrong in earlier post, Karen
No worries. Spell check throws us off sometimes.
Wow, Karen. Great switch around of thinking. You put a good attitude toward that activity (that I never do)! My mother use to say that dusting with a feather duster was “just stirring it up” and it has to land someplace else…so we were taught to dust with a damp cloth (which I also resisted.) She had extreme allergies, so this made sense. Now that my mother is gone, I don’t do either :))) I just watch it build and then have my house cleaner do it, ha ha, but I like the positive spin you put on this never-ending task. Thanks Karen, for your wisdom and insight. I look forward to your writings. love, Heidi
Thanks, Heidi. I think it’s about time for me to hire out what I resist doing! I like your mother’s tip. I’ll consider that.
I love the look of newly dusted furniture, thus, I let that dust build up so I can appreciate my good work! (That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it)
Hi Patti. I love your story. I’ll adopt it and stick to it with you. 🙂