After receiving their ashes yesterday, my small children wanted to know if that made today "Easter".
There was no other way to break it to them but be blunt;
"No, that's about another five weeks away." I said. (Wondering how I was going to cope with the question "Is it Easter yet?" for the next 40 days.)
Having also received my Lenten ashes, I was making a special effort in my walk with Jesus yesterday. Suddenly my good intentions were punctured by one of those acts of impertinence by another driver on the road.
"Ho Hum!" I sung trying to be an example of patience to the little'uns in the car with me.
"Mum, you told that man to shut up!"
"Did I..? "
"You did"
"I did...?"
"Mum you are naughty!"
I hadn't even realised the words had slipped out. My good intentions had turned to ashes in an instant!
I remembered that God had formed Adam from the dust of the earth; and that He lifted him (humankind)up to a new life when He became man in the person of Jesus.
God picks us up from the dust time and again. Even when we are in the rubbish dump of life, he can still bring us to a new understanding of His love for us.
As for the incident on the road, it took a while for me to starve my pride and let the forgiveness in.
Lent isn't so much a time of "doing without" but of "doing within".
Making a change of heart "within" ourselves.
I overheard a mum at the school gates telling her Friend she was off to "Slimming world" for her regular fitness session.
(What do they say? No pain, No gain!)
Lent is a time to slough off those sinful traits that turns our souls into couch potato. Its a time to get spiritually fighting fit because there is more than a healthy body at stake.
At our last judgement, we will be glad we chose to make that little extra effort during Lent to work on our relationship with God.
(If there is no hell, why would Jesus have made such a great sacrifice if not to save us from it?)
Each time we find ourselves like Cinderella among the ashes, we have only to look at a crucifix to remain in the hope that God will give us another chance to "put on a new gown."
Our souls long for the day of our own resurrection, when we hope to rejoice in God's company.
Like little children, eagerly awaiting the treats of the Easter season, can't we pity our own poor souls, who long to be fed with the delights of the sacraments.
Once in a while treat them to a day out to the confessional?
We need to love our own souls a little more; Lent is the season of love, it may starve the body and its passions, but it feeds the soul with the new life of Easter.
