But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.
-2 Corinthians 4:7 (NIV)
I awaken groggily to a bright light in my face as morning announces itself with fanfare.
The sun invades the blinds covering our large downstairs bedroom window and bursts in triumphantly. I lie for a moment in that just-waking-up sleepy glow, snuggled beneath layers of quilts, as I listen to the birds outside my window and the soft breathing of my sleeping husband. On my nightstand, the baby monitor hisses with the ticking of the clock on the wall in our disabled son’s room next door and the swooshing of air that reassures me his ventilator is working correctly.
In the quiet hour before I awaken enough to mentally strap on the burdens of the day, I take in the wonder of the peace that envelops me. I revel in the warm colors of the log beams and cedar planking above my head. The furnishings in this room represent my inheritance from my mother and gifts from my family. It is simple, small, yet rich in textures and love.
I shift a bit in bed. My movements stir a little whirl of dust into the air. I watch in amusement as the tiny particles do an electric dance in the stream of light. They remind me of the lightning bugs down in my native South, turning on and off in a magical fairy flight.
The dust appears to be showing off, and I smile at the sight.
After all, it’s just dust. What can be lowlier than dust? It’s a humble bit of earth that’s useful outside, but a bother indoors. It’s only interesting today because the light has reflected off it in such spectacular fashion. Then the magnitude of the message hits me.
If God can do such a thing with a speck of dust, can He take my life and make it dance for Him, even on the days I feel like dirt?
Sure He can. The clay from which Adam came, and to which we return, is the foundation of life. God uses dirt. It doesn’t matter that we’re ordinary.
It matters that we live in the Light.
Joy surges in my heart, bedazzled with hope. What a Creator He is! What a Redeemer! The ultimate artisan, God delights in taking something as lowly as dust and turning it into a glorious dance of joy. He loves to show what His skilled hands can do with common materials. He really seems to enjoy working with clay.
And yes, that clay is us, His favorite dust. We may feel like nothing, but He considered us valuable enough to die for. We’re His beloved vessels, overflowing with the treasures of grace. How often I forget it’s not up to me to make something of the day, or for that matter, of the clay.
I just need to be available to dance.
