Today marks Ash Wednesday. Apropos to this, yesterday I read the chapter "Ashes" from Ann Lamott's Traveling Mercies, a chapter that illuminates a stereotype that we have of the consistency of ashes. She makes the distinction between ash from cremated bodies (unrefined, gritty) and ash from a burned piece of wood (powder-like, light as a feather). She also observes that attempting to spread someone's ashes is not romantic, but awkward and messy, which made me think of the scene from The Big Lebowski when the Jewish veteran tosses Donny's ashes over the cliff, but only succeeds in catching the ashes in the wind, smattering Donny's remains in The Dude's hair and face.
Poor planning on my part and a disbelief that Ash Wednesday was so early, I did not make it to a service today, and I did not have an ash print on my forehead given to me. However, I am excited to start a Lent devotional today, courtesy of Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary (2010 Lent Devotional Guide). What a balm to my mind and strengthening of my spirit it was to follow a daily Advent devotional this past December. Life this past semester has been...challenging, painful, confusing, and borderline devastating. Through this, though, life has been poignantly beautiful in better understanding the people that God has placed in my life (students, tutorees, service workers).
I look forward to this season of Lent. I haven't decided just yet what I will take on this season, but I'm willing and praying that God gives me the strength and endurance to choose not to participate in occupational back biting. Now that's a wilderness to endure!
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