Ash Wednesday

Last year I celebrated Ash Wednesday among a circle of women friends. It was a memorable evening that greatly helped me to understand the true meaning of Lent. One of the women had been through a difficult divorce. After her husband left she found she was unable to enjoy lighting a fire in her fireplace because it reminded her of times that had seemed happier. The fireplace became a symbol to her of the bitterness she felt toward her ex and the pain that weighed heavy on her heart. One February evening she sat staring at the cold fireplace when she felt the presence of God beside her. God was telling her that it was time to let go of the bitterness and move on into the land of joy. She built a big, beautiful fire that evening. She threw into those flames the hurt, the bitterness and the anger that had been weighing her down. The fire consumed those painful emotions and she felt a great release. The next morning she collected the ashes in a plastic bag and saved them. They were ashes of joy. On Ash Wednesday, as we sat around a cheerful fire, she told us that for Lent she had burned up her bitterness. She brought the ashes of joy for us to share. As we put these ashes of joy on one another’s foreheads we were filled with a sense of the joy that comes when God is present among His people.

“Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes in the morning.” Psalms 30:5