Another day. Kids off to school and coffee in hand I sit down to deal with the myriad of thoughts swimming. Happy thoughts. Heavy thoughts. How to make sense of it all? I reached for my Bible and dusted it off smiling. That is the only time I have ever smiled at dust. I thought to myself, the phrase “dusting off the old Bible” sure has a whole new meaning around these parts! You can dust and dust some more. Then a truck drives by and within 5 minutes there is another film of dust. I detest the big trucks that drive through here. The noise and dust they bring always sets me on edge. They represent anything but peace to my little world. As I ran my hand over my dust covered Bible I was reminded how much I need it. Then. Now. Always. I need it. I need it before the dust starts flying and wrecking havoc on my day. I need it before the dust has a chance to settle. But oh how quickly the dust settles and stays and discourages! It stares at me standing for everything neglected, everything ugly and unreconciled and wrong with this world. I brush it away and in a moment another truckload of dust barrels into my day and sends me reeling, searching for peace.
It is these IN YOUR FACE reminders that also remind me why I love Haiti so much. There is no forgetting the dust. It is always there. I sweep it away and then another truck comes. And I know that the dusting will never end. Inside. Outside. All around. The truckload of issues is ever present, coming this way, already here. It screeches and halts and completely unnerves me. It makes me feel dirty and sad. Sad that nothing will ever stay clean for long enough to enjoy it. There is this constant longing to feel clean, to experience lasting peace. There is SO. Much. Injustice. There is so much to be done. The dust mockingly reminds us that we can never get ahead. The dust is overwhelming. There is always more to do. Someone needs help. We need help. I need help.
Where will our help come from?
“MY help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth!” Psalm 121:2
“OUR help is in the name of the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.” Psalm 124:8
“He will bring forth justice for truth.
He will not fail nor be discouraged,
Till He has established justice in the earth;
And the coastlands shall wait for His law.”
Thus says God the Lord,
Who created the heavens and stretched them out,
Who spread forth the earth and that which comes from it,
Who gives breath to the people on it,
And spirit to those who walk in it:
“I, the Lord, have called You in righteousness,
And I will hold Your hand.”
Isaiah 42:3-6
How thankful I am for these words this morning. How thankful I am for His calling. How thankful I am that He holds my hand. How thankful I am to know that this earth and the injustice in it is passing away. One day the dust will settle once and for all. It will be swept away forever! Peace will reign! Thinking about it makes me so happy! I can’t wait for that day! Can you?