An elderly friend entered the open door of my office, sat down across from my desk, and came right to the point: “Harvey, you must remember you are dust!”

I wasn’t expecting this from her. But I knew from a reliable source that this is true. She was echoing Psalm 103:14: the Lord “remembers that we are dust.”

There was a time when I thought this verse meant that we have little or no worth. I remembered “dust devils” ­under my bed. Not much value there. We vigorously shook out the dust mop, glad to be rid of the dust.

But my friend was not telling me I was worthless. She was concerned that I was too busy and not taking care of myself properly. Our text says that too, doesn’t it? The Lord is caring. God is like a father who has compassion on his children. He knows our frailty; he knows how we are formed. The God who took dust and breathed into it the gift of life reminds us that he is willing and able to meet our needs out of the riches of grace in his Son, our Savior.

My elderly friend was blunt, but she was very caring and loving. And she was right. I needed her visit and the reminder that I am dust. It’s my reality. The Lord compassionately remembers it, and I’m trying to remember it too, with thanks!