Holding things lightly – Ash Wednesday 2016

 

Ash Wednesday is upon us. This day is the annual kick-off to the season of Lent, the 40 days that lead us to Easter. This day for many people signifies a time where we ponder our humanity, our mortality, and our state of imperfection. Sometimes, people have the tradition of giving up a favorite food or drink through this season as a way to participate in this season of prayer. palmsoil

This year, as I prepared for Ash Wednesday service, I had the opportunity to gather the old dried palm branches from last year’s Palm Sunday celebration and learn the process of burning them down to ashes.

palmsfire

I stuffed the palms into a metal pitcher, drizzled them with olive oil and lit the contents. For about ten minutes the palms burnt and created a huge cloud of smoke. At one point the smoke curled into a huge pillar that swirled into the blue sky above. The flames slowly died down and the ashes of the palms remained. The next step was to pour the ashes onto a plate and mash them with the back of a spoon until they were fine and powdery.

palmashes

What remained of the large pile of palm branches was small in contrast to their original form. The fire had changed their mass. The smoke had shifted their purpose. What had once been a symbol of celebration and praise was now one of prayer and reflection.

While I know palm branches don’t have a voice in this process, I wondered what, if they could speak, they would say about the whole experience?

As they were stuffed into the metal can, they tried popping out of the container. As they burned, the ashes tried to fly out of the fire, but foil was laid over top to contain them. They we mashed and pressed into fine powder, that if I wasn’t careful in containing – would have blown away in the wind. There is and was a sense of resistance I noticed in the palms that I think is quite true for people as well.

In our reaction to the actions of life and the challenges we face, we struggle – we dodge – we wrestle. This is not meant to be an accusation, for I know these all are things I do too. Fight or flight is a natural human reaction to stimuli. We fight. We fly. We are, I suppose, quite like the palm branches that I observed becoming ashes.

There is a phrase that I share with people when I place ashes on their foreheads on Ash Wednesday, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you will return.”

We are dust – this is true. But we are much loved, much cared for dust. We may be in the midst of an experience in life that feels like a fire, or a test, or being pressed into powdery ash; but we are loved even in the midst of it all.

This Lent, I think I’ll pray for God to help me give up my own fight or flight reactions. My struggle to control. My desire to make things go this way or that. Instead, I nee God to help me hold things lightly. To trust that God is in control. To trust that God cares for a bunch of ashes like me – and a bunch of ashes like you too.

We are dust – and to dust we shall return… but we are well loved dust called to hold things lightly in the days to come.

How might holding things lightly be helpful to you today and through Lent?

Holdingthingslightly

This painting is titled, “Holding things Lightly”                                                             and is by Tara Lamont Eastman.

Author: gratitudematters

Artist, writer and investigator of light and beauty - even from the dimmest corners of life.

22 thoughts on “Holding things lightly – Ash Wednesday 2016”

  2. Really plenty of wonderful facts!
    http://canadianpharmacyntx.com/
    discount prescription drugs online canada pharmaceutical online ordering drugs without prescription canadianpharmacy
    rx online
    drug stores near me
    prescription drug assistance
    canadian pharmacies that ship to us
    top rated canadian pharmacies online
    best non prescription online pharmacies

    Reply

  6. Amazing posts. Cheers.
    http://www.canadianpharmacymsn.com/
    pharmacy near me canadian pharmacies online cheap prescription drugs online canada online pharmacies
    canada pharmacy
    canadian pharmacy without prescription
    prescription drugs without prior prescription
    canadapharmacyonline.com
    canadapharmacyonline com
    canadian drugstore reviews

    Reply

  9. Many thanks. Valuable stuff!
    http://canadianpharmaciesnnm.com/
    canadian pharmacies shipping to usa canadian pharmacies online canada drug prices canada pharmacy online
    drugs without prescription
    prescription drug
    prescription drugs without prior prescription
    prescription drug
    canadian online pharmacy reviews
    onlinecanadianpharmacy.com

    Reply

  10. You actually stated this wonderfully.
    http://canadianonlinepharmacynnm.com/
    mail order pharmacy canadian viagra no prescription online pharmacy canadian cialis
    canadian pharmacy without prescription
    canadian pharmacies shipping to usa
    legitimate online pharmacies
    canadian pharmacy meds
    best canadian prescription prices
    buy prescription drugs online

    Reply

  11. Fantastic forum posts, Thanks a lot.
    http://canadianpharmacymim.com/
    canadian pharmacies that are legit top rated canadian pharmacies online mexican pharmacy online medications canadian pharcharmy
    rx price comparison
    no prescription pharmacies
    prescription drugs online without doctor
    walgreens pharmacy
    canada meds
    costco pharmacy pricing

    Reply

  14. Appreciate it. Quite a lot of info!
    http://canadianpharmacyntx.com/
    canada pharmacy online orders canadian online pharmacies canadian pharmacy no prescription needed online pharmacies of canada
    prescription drug
    canada drugs
    canadianpharmacy
    online drugs
    canadian pharmacies online
    <a href="http://mirabiliatour.blogspot.com/ask?q=+Appreciate+it%21+A+good+amount+of+data.++http%3A%2F%2Ftalahicc.com%2F+canadianpharmacy+london+drugs+canada+canada+pharmacy+online+%5Burl%3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fcanadianpharmaciescubarx.com%2F%5Dcanada+pharmacy+online%5B%2Furl%5D+%0D%0Ahighest+rated+canadian+pharmacies+%0D%0Acheap+drugs+online+%0D%0Arx+online+%0D%0Adiscount+pharmacy+%0D%0Amedication+costs+%0D%0Apharmacies+in+canada&submit=ask”>canadian pharmacies that are legit

    Reply

  16. Really quite a lot of useful knowledge.
    http://canadianonlinepharmacynnm.com/
    online pharmacy usa online pharmacies of canada canadian online pharmacies prescription drugs canadian pharmacies without an rx
    prescription prices comparison
    discount drugs online pharmacy
    canadian meds
    drugs without prescription
    canada drug
    canadian drugstore online

    Reply

  19. You actually expressed it exceptionally well.
    http://canadianpharmacysilo.com/
    discount drugs online pharmacy canada drugs online canadian pharmacies that are legit canada pharmaceutical online ordering
    canada drug prices
    prescription without a doctor’s prescription
    canada drugs
    meds online
    buy prescription drugs from canada
    online drugs

    Reply

  28. With thanks. I like it.
    http://canadianonlinepharmacynnm.com/
    online pharmacy no prescription needed canadian pharmacy online canadian pharmacy canadian pharmaceuticals online
    drugs for sale
    us pharmacy no prior prescription
    canadian drugs without prescription
    reputable canadian mail order pharmacies
    prescription drug
    buy online prescription drugs

    Reply

  29. Whoa a good deal of terrific tips!
    http://canadianpharmacymim.com/
    canada pharmacies without script canada online pharmacies best canadian online pharmacy aarp approved canadian online pharmacies
    prescription pricing
    canadian family pharmacy
    reputable canadian mail order pharmacies
    online pharmacy
    prescription drugs prices
    buying drugs canada

    Reply

  33. Thanks, Helpful information!
    http://canadianpharmaciescubarx.com/
    mexican pharmacies shipping to usa canadian online pharmacies mail order pharmacy northwestpharmacy
    discount prescription drug
    online pharmacy no prescription needed
    discount prescription drug
    canadian pharmacy meds
    prescription cost
    canadian online pharmacies prescription drugs

    Reply

  38. Very good write ups. Regards!
    http://canadianpharmaciescubarx.com/
    canadian pharcharmy online global pharmacy canada canadapharmacyonline com canada pharmacy online
    canadian pharcharmy online
    prescription drug cost
    medication costs
    cheap prescription drugs online
    reputable canadian mail order pharmacies
    canadian pharmacy without prescription

    Reply

  39. Amazing a lot of excellent information!
    http://canadianpharmaciescubarx.com/
    northwest pharmacy canada north west pharmacy canada online pharmacy reviews canada pharmacy online
    international pharmacies that ship to the usa
    canadian pharmacy online canada
    drugs for sale
    prescription cost
    online pharmacy reviews
    approved canadian pharmacies online

    Reply

  42. Many thanks! Numerous data.
    http://canadianpharmaciesnnm.com/
    cheap prescription drugs canadian online pharmacy discount drugs online pharmacy canada drugs online
    canada online pharmacies
    cialis online
    canadian pharmacies shipping to usa
    canadian family pharmacy
    <a href="http://mirabiliatour.blogspot.com/ask?q=+You+said+it+perfectly..+%0D%0Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fcanadianonlinepharmacynnm.com%2F+%0D%0Acanadian+family+pharmacy+canadian+online+pharmacy+pharmacy+price+comparison+%5Burl%3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Ftalahicc.com%2F%5Dcanadian+pharmacies+online%5B%2Furl%5D+%0D%0Acanadian+pharmacies+that+are+legit+%0D%0Abest+canadian+online+pharmacy+%0D%0Aglobal+pharmacy+canada+%0D%0Alegitimate+online+pharmacies+%0D%0Acanadapharmacy+com+%0D%0Adrugs+for+sale&submit=ask”>canadapharmacy com
    canadian prescriptions

    Reply

  51. You said that really well!
    https://nicktambone.com/
    overseas pharmacy forum canadian pharmaceuticals online pharmacies in canada canadian pharmacies without an rx
    canadian pharmacies online prescriptions
    canada pharmacies prescription drugs
    canadian pharmacy king
    buy prescription drugs without doctor
    most reliable canadian pharmacies
    canada drugs online pharmacy

    Reply

  67. Hi there! This post couldn’t be written any better! Reading
    through this post reminds me of my previous room mate! He constantly kept talking about
    this. I ‘ll forward this post to him. Quite sure he’ll have a good read.
    Thank you for sharing!

    Reply

  69. Undeniably believe that which you said. Your favorite justification seemed to be
    on the net the easiest thing to be aware
    of. I say to you, I certainly get irked while people consider worries that
    they just do not know about. You managed to hit the nail
    upon the top as well as defined out the whole thing without having side effect ,
    people could take a signal. Will likely be back to get more.

    Thanks

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *