Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: Dust: To add fine particles, or to remove them (11/13/25)
-
TITLE: Not Dust to be Forgotten | Previous Challenge Entry
By Bonnie Bowden
11/17/25 -
LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE
SEND A PRIVATE COMMENT
ADD TO MY FAVORITES
He stopped, a shadow of worry crossing his brow, swift as a desert bird. He sighed, watching the angry red sun disappear. “We’re nothing but dust. Blown in from the wilderness, soon to be scattered back. A tent peg holds us for a season, then back we go, as if we were never pitched.”
The accursed wind, a restless spirit, seemed to agree with his words, stirring the fine earth and settling it back onto the thirsty land, a quiet, eternal merging of all things into the desert’s endless embrace.
Stopping her mending for a moment, Milcah's eyes caught the last rays of sunlight. "You know, Nathan," she said softly, "the Lord God made man from dust. He's not just the earth beneath us; he is the very air we breathe."
Nathan, however, felt a profound sense of insignificance when compared to the eminent figures of the past. While God granted Elijah the power to call down fire from heaven, Abraham the steadfastness of faith, and Moses the capacity to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, Nathan felt he was but dust on the sandals of these revered men.
The very next afternoon, under a sweltering sun, a young messenger burst into the camp, shouting for the elders, his voice dry. "A drought!" he cried. "In the allied village! Their wells... they are all dry!"
A tense silence gripped the camp. King Ahab's idolatry had brought a curse upon the land, a drought so severe that even the mighty Jordan River was parched. In response, the people dispatched a delegation to beg aid from a less afflicted settlement.
"Who will make the durable tents we need?" demanded Josiah, a stern elder whose brow creased with worry.
Eyes fixed on Nathan, Josiah declared, "Nathan, the tentmaker."
Startled, Nathan fumbled his tools.
Working tirelessly under the brutal heat, sweat running in rivulets down his back, he cut the strong goat hair fabric, his muscles aching with sustained effort. Each stitch connected more than fabric; he was weaving hope and shelter for those affected by the famine.
As the sun ascended in the sky, Nathan observed the delegation fade into a distant cloud of dust. Heavy canvas tents, strapped to the backs of weary donkeys, stood as a testament to his hard labor.
Nathan was not a man of grand tales or miraculous events. No, he was more than that. He embodied the raw truth of existence itself—unwavering and enduring—a steadfast journey marked by resilience.
Weeks later, the delegation returned. Josiah found Nathan in his usual spot and stood silently beside him as the dust whirled and danced in the wind.
"Your work saved lives, Nathan," Josiah said softly, breaking the silence. "Your tents offered shelter, a place to rest, a place to heal. It was essential for survival."
He glanced at the elder, hoping for the familiar dismissal, but it never came.
Gesturing toward the ground underfoot, Josiah remarked, "We are all dust. But the Lord God does not see us as mere dirt. He sees us as the clay in His hands."
Nathan's gaze fell upon the desert floor. The dust seemed ordinary, commonplace. Yet, if it were shaped by the right hands, it had the potential for transformation, purpose, and life.
Suddenly, a strong wind swirled around them, no longer aimless, but a powerful gust that hinted at a shift in weather, perhaps even the promise of rain.
Nathan was not dust to be forgotten. He was the earth itself, waiting to be shaped into a vessel for the divine breath.
____________________________________________________________________
This story is fictional. Although there is no record of this incident in the Bible, it was written as a historical account of the drought that occurred during King Ahab’s reign.
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.
Accept Jesus as Your Lord and Savior Right Now - CLICK HERE
JOIN US at FaithWriters for Free. Grow as a Writer and Spread the Gospel.
I really like this phrase in your story, and it was a great reminder to help others.