Marked

Today all over the world people will be marked on their foreheads with ashes.  "You are dust and to dust you shall return," the priest will say.  What does that mean to you?  

Dust is what we remove. Dust is what accumulates when something is not used.  For some, the mark of ashes will only mean that life is fleeting and that all of us will die; for others, just a ritual.  But there is something more.  

The bible tells us that dust, dirt, is what God blew God's breath into to create us.  Dust is what God saw promise in.  Dust is what God saw capacity in.  It is amazing to think about how God saw life when God held dry dust in His hands.  I think God still sees life where the world sees dust and worthlessness.  I think God sees more life in us, than we see in ourselves.  

On this Ash Wednesday, maybe you could receive the ashes as being marked for life.  Marked as one having more promise and capacity than you've dreamed of.  Marked as being beloved by a God that you don't have to con or impress.  Marked as one forgiven.  Marked as a partner with Jesus.