Ash Wednesday

We just got back from church and it was a WONDERFUL service. I wish I had the text to the sermon, it was terrific. Our minister told the story of a missionary family who were caught in a communist country and held captive. They were eventually told that they would be allowed to leave but they would only be allowed to take 200 lbs of "stuff" with them. After years in this place, they had accumulated all the stuff we all have and think that we are attached to. They spent a great deal of time with a scale and finally, worked it down to 200 lbs. The soldiers came and told them that it was time to go. They were asked whether they were sure that they had weighed everything and were down to 200 lbs. Then, they were asked whether they had weighed their children - they had to say goodbye to everything. Our minister reminded us that, in some ways, this is what Lent is about - figuring out what really matters and what else is just stuff and stuff that might actually separate us from what God wants for us. I like that. Actually, it made me think that I would like to go back to something I started ages ago and for the 40 days of Lent, I will try to get rid of something each day. I like the idea of shedding all that extra baggage that takes up so much time and energy.

I also have to say, we sat in a row with several families with whom we have become really close and we all have toddlers. It was incredibly moving to go up as families to get the ashes on our foreheads. It was wonderful to be marked as believers like that. Dh said that we needed to get our faces washed before we go to bed to protect the pillow cases - I wish I could keep that black cross of ashes for a long time.