Shefa and the Holy Dust: Biblical abundance in everyday life

Meet Shefa, my fun little sidekick. If you asked my family, they’d tell you I have tunnel vision. Is that a good or bad thing? Well… it depends on the day, the time, and whatever adventure I’m in the middle of. I love details — maybe too much sometimes. God’s Word is full of tiny treasures, and those treasures often send me down rabbit holes.

Some of those rabbit holes sparkle with what I call Holy Dust — rich insight, unexpected revelation, little God-winks hidden between the lines. Other rabbit holes… well, they’re just holes. Deep, dark, time-stealing holes stuffed with meaningless junk that rob me of hours I can never get back.

That’s where Shefa comes in.

Her name in Hebrew means divine overflow and abundance, and that is exactly what she represents for me. When I picture her kicking up her clouds of Holy Dust, she becomes a playful reminder to keep God at the forefront of my mind — because when He holds center place, I see His abundance everywhere. Even Scripture whispers this, describing God’s shefa—His abundance—in Deuteronomy 33:19: “the abundance of the seas and treasures hidden in the sand.”

Holy Dust. Hidden treasures. Overflow waiting just beneath the surface. That’s the world Shefa invites me into.

Sometimes, before I can enjoy that world with God, I get tangled in something far more human: avoidance.

Maybe you recognize it too — those moments when you catch yourself drifting into mindless scrolling, endless snacking, or cleaning the same already-clean thing because you’re avoiding something else. Truth is, mindless activity usually isn’t about the activity at all. It’s about what we’re running from.

The tasks we avoid are rarely unimportant. Most of the time, they’re deeply tied to our peace, our relationships, our well-being, and the life of those around us. But because they feel overwhelming or mentally demanding, we push them aside. And they pile up like fallen branches in the corners of our mind.

Avoidance doesn’t remove weight — it adds it. It steals emotional energy, dulls our joy, and fills our inner world with clutter that keeps us from hearing God clearly.

For me, deep work isn’t about the big creative projects people brag about online. It’s the humbler, quieter work of turning toward the tasks I would rather ignore — the phone call, the bills, the mess in the corner, the appointment I keep putting off… and yes, even planning dinners.

Isn’t it funny how a simple task like planning meals can feel so small, yet create so much chaos when ignored? And how peaceful the whole week feels when it’s finally done? These little things matter more than we realize.

Deep work, in this sense, is giving full attention to the things we’ve been avoiding — not because they’re glamorous, but because they restore peace. They free up the mental space where God’s voice becomes easier to hear. They make room for the intimacy with God we crave.

And here’s the beautiful part: God meets me even in these simple tasks. Because the moment I clear the clutter I’ve been avoiding, I find more space for Him. More capacity to listen. More room for overflow.

Shefa is my little reminder of that — tapping her foot at my avoidance and nudging me toward the small tasks that bring big freedom. She reminds me that when I tend to the life-things that weigh me down, I can enjoy my time with God more freely, more deeply, more intimately — without guilt tugging at the edges of my heart.

A Small Practice With Big Impact

If you want to experience this kind of freedom, this kind of holy mental clarity, try something simple today:

Write down the tasks you’ve been avoiding. Not the glamorous ones — the basic life responsibilities that clutter your mind and steal peace. For me, that list often includes things like planning dinners, calling someone back, scheduling appointments, or tackling a small mess that’s become a large distraction.

Then choose just one of those tasks and give it twenty minutes of your full attention. Set a timer. Don’t judge the task. Don’t judge yourself. Just begin.

Twenty minutes dismantles avoidance. Twenty minutes lifts mental weight. Twenty minutes restores the calm where God loves to whisper. Twenty minutes makes room for His abundance to flow again — even in the ordinary rhythms of home.

And maybe — just maybe — you might want a Shefa of your own. A playful little imagery sidekick to remind you of God’s overflow and abundance, sparkling in the everyday places you might otherwise overlook…like Holy Dust rising from treasures hidden in the sand.