I sit here at 3 am, when most of this side of the world slumbers, thinking about God. Thinking about childhood. Thinking about imagination. And dust.

Yes, dust.

Hear me out. It may seem strange. Maybe I am strange. But dust? Not so much. It’s common. Overlooked. Unimportant. Never beautiful.

But beautiful it is to me.

The other morning, maybe yesterday, maybe even the day before, when I actually slept through an entire night, (a complete rarity for me) I woke slowly and opened my eyes to sunlight streaming in through my blinds. And it was beautiful. Breathtaking. In the beams of light that permeated my room, dust was dancing. Swirling and twirling, all lackadaisical like, a silent choreography of unpredictable rhythm. Highlighted in the morning glow, there were specks of dust, of glimmering gold, floating carelessly yet gracefully in a grand display of minuscule proportion.

And it was beautiful. Am I crazy? To think of dust as beautiful, perhaps I am. But I really think not. I did have a fleeting thought of an air purifier, but that was just the grown up in me. I quickly tucked her away and let the child in me come out to play. I really like that little girl. She’s smart. She’s sassy. And she sleepily watched the golden splendor of sparkles tumbling through beams of light. She, who is me, let the sight take hold of my heart, reminding me of childhood and how I once thought such things were magic, before I even knew what dust was. Before knowledge and research at the touch of a fingertip to a screen tried to ruin me. I will not be ruined. The kid in me insists upon that with a stubborn stomping of the foot, arms folded across her chest in defiance. That little girl is still holding down the fort of my heart, and I pray that she always does.

Well, in case you did not know, it turns out that dust can be made of many things, some not so pleasant (not as much skin as you think) and some wonderful things, like rocks (my favorite) and sea salt. Did you know that dust helps to make raindrops? There is often dust at the center of every single amazing rain drop. Seems crazy, right? I mean dust is dry and rain is wet. How does that even work? Well, because God. Seriously, He blows my mind with the simplicity of complicated things. Go ahead. Look up the magic of rain drops and dust, if you like. I’ll wait here for a bit.

Did you look?? This world is a vision of exquisiteness, an orchestra of sights and sounds and colors that we absorb as children and then somehow become forgetful of. Why is that?

I don’t want to forget the wonder of childhood. I don’t want my brain to forget how to look at things, and how to see the good stuff. So I try to see all of the things, and pray that I don’t miss out on any dancing dust, or pretty rocks, or sparkly rain drops. To me, that’s the good stuff. Not the cosmetics I’m told I need to be beautiful, nor the big house that looks like every other house that I’m told I should want to live in. No. Those are grown up things, not so important as you think, things. To me, quite boring things.

~ Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭18‬:‭17‬ ~

Take me back, Lord. Take me back to the magic of childhood, to the joy of little things, to the gift of wonder. Show me Your beauty in everything from the dancing of dust in a beam of morning light, to the thunder of a storm bellowing proudly on a sleepy afternoon, to the moonlight painting a twilight masterpiece upon a midnight canvas.

Open my heart to your gifts, Lord. Show me that nothing is quite as simple as it seems, remind me that there are lessons everywhere, and open my eyes to the beauty all around me. Please do not let me take a single minute for granted, because we are here so briefly. Help me to make my moments count. For Your glory, for now, for forever. Amen

As I walk along this road called life, and more and more years fall behind me, and more and more friends and family are lost to time, I think on the brevity of our journey here. As so many people I know return to the dust, and some of them to our Maker, I hope that they took the time to notice the good things God was showing them while they were here. I hope people noticed them noticing, and I hope more people take notice because of the noticers. Noticers are a special kind, some are naturals, but ALL can learn.

We are here for a flash, as quick as lightning, and as simple as dust. Yet lightning can start fires and dust can settle into fertile soil. We can start fires in hearts and we can be part of growing beautiful things. All of us. There is nothing created by God that is insignificant. Not you, not me, not even dust on a breeze, which is so much of what we are.

Open your eyes, make your mark, do all of the things. Stop focusing on what the world sees and focus on what your heart sees. And if your heart is missing something, maybe your focus is off. Close your eyes, say a prayer, and look again. There is something special for you to see today. Something just for you. Don’t miss it. Don’t miss out.

~ For he knows what we are made of, remembering that we are dust.
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭103‬:‭14‬ ‭~

Now I shall go back to sleep, to maybe dream of oceans. I really hope I do. Oceans are a part of raindrops which are made of a little dust, which is made up of a little bit of everything, including you and me. How cool is that?

Please pay attention to the good stuff today. Take notice now. Be a noticer. Because dust to dust is really not a very long time at all.

If you like what I do feel free to share. You can also follow my Facebook pages at Humblegirl, or Raygirl. Thanks for supporting my journey. One day I hope to get to do this more and more.

Love and peace,

Ray ~ Humblegirl

~ Then the Lord God formed the man out of the dust from the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being.
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭2‬:‭7‬ ‭~

~ Your dead will live; their bodies will rise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in the dust! For you will be covered with the morning dew, and the earth will bring out the departed spirits. ~
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭26‬:‭19‬ ‭

~ Many who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to eternal life, and some to disgrace and eternal contempt.
‭‭Daniel‬ ‭12‬:‭2‬ ‭ ~

~ The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven.
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭15‬:‭47‬ ~‭

~ For he knows what we are made of, remembering that we are dust.
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭103‬:‭14‬ ~‭

~All are going to the same place; all come from dust, and all return to dust.
‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭3‬:‭20‬ ‭~