From God, To God: A reflection on Ash Wednesday



It's Ash Wednesday today.  The first day of Lent, the first steps of a journey towards betrayel, accusation, sentencing, death and ultimately a Resurrection of miracles.  It's an important day in the life of the church as we take on an attitude of preparation and reflection and a pointing to God.  A reminder today that we came from God and we return to God.  Everyday.

Everyday we are need of redemption.  And Everyday God so graciously offers it to us.  Redemption. Forgiveness, a making new of our minds and our attitudes and our hearts.  A redemption of words. and thoughts and actions.

It's an intentional time to reflect not just on what God, through Jesus Christ has done and will do, but a time for looking inwards, to our own hearts and determining what needs work.  How can I love more?  Where is kindness in my life and with whom do I need to be more kind?  What habits or attitudes are getting in the way of my seeing Christ in my life?  of others seeing Christ in my life?  It's a way of becoming holy that leads us to the foot of the cross in front of our Savior as together, He and I pour our lives out into each other and as Christ gives up his life on the cross, so I give up my life.  As Christ empties himself for me and for you, we must empty ourselves of all things that are not from God in order to be more like God.  Lent is a journey into an emptying of ourselves, a cleaning out of all that is dirty and ugly and unholy.

And in becoming empty, God fills.  In letting go, God gifts to us a newness of life.  And we are redeemed.  We are called worthy.  We become set a part.  As Christ rises from the grave and declares victory, we rise with Him and we become victorious too.  We walked this road of brokeness in order to experience the boulder being rolled away and as Grace filled that empty tomb so Grace fills those empty spaces in our lives.  The miracle of Christ in us and through us and around us.  This difficult road of being purified and being made holy is good work.  Because it's God's work.  In us.  Always.

May you experience Christ this Lenten Season.  May you walk this path of redemption, a returning to God and may we stand together at the cross praising our Saviour.  All our days.  Holiness.

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