Ash Wednesday

I had never been to an Ash Wednesday service before. Neither of the churches I grew up in had them or anything like it. Truly, I haven't known much about the Lenten season, just that it is a time of fasting and repentance during the time between Ash Wednesday and Easter, symbolic of the 40 days that Jesus spent in the desert fasting and being tempted by Satan. Our friends grew up Catholic, and though they are not practicing now, they give up something for Lent each year. I have given up something for the past couple of years like chocolate, without really knowing the purpose of the sacrifice. This year I decided to give up sugar and sweeteners and baked goods. And when my girls knit-night was canceled, Mike and I decided to go to the Ash Wednesday service at our church. The small crowd was hushed and contemplative. We recited a few scriptures and sang a few hymns. And we wrote down a sin we repent of that hurts others. We lined up to place them in a copper bowl to burn and then our heads were smudged with Ash. Very moving and symbolic. I hope that being mindful of this small sacrifice that I make every day, and remembering the vice that I hope to release, will in some way help me be a better person, the person I want to be, and remind me of the sacrifice Christ made for me.