“Without the breath of God, we are but dust.” ~ Carolyn Arends
At the beginning of Lent, we reminded ourselves of our frailty. For me, it has never gotten more real than to have ashes placed on my forehead each year and to hear the reminder/admonition, “Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return.” Yes, the reality of my situation is always before me. I am dust. As a matter of fact, I am dust and broken parts. Hips have already been replaced, knees are in need of being replaced, and my heart has been ravaged by a virus many years ago.
That truth is before me in a very real way today. As this message is being sent at 6:00 a.m., I am at Community Hospital being prepped for surgery in order to replace my pacemaker/defibrillator as the battery in my present unit is exhausted. Dust and a reminder that I live on batteries is a pretty sobering thought. However, that thought leads me to a startling revelation: God can raise anything from the ashes.
Yes, I am dependent upon batteries. Yes, l am mere dust. However, God has something special in store for these old bones as well as for yours. He wants us all to come home at the end of our days here on earth. At that moment, all that we have gone through will be made clear and come into focus in a wonderful way. Then, we will no longer worry about our lot in life. Then, we will no longer be plagued by our human condition.
Until that day, embrace your condition. I think that is one of the best “penances” that we could do. To embrace our human frailty and depend upon God rather than ourselves is a great act of trust. God’s got us and He will not let us go. If that’s the case, make sure that you don’t let go of Him.
Jesus, I trust in you.
FAITH ACTION: Acknowledge the frailty of your life and ask God to sustain you in His marvelous love.