They say that the longest journey starts with a single step. My Lenten journey this year started with the Ash Wedesday service at 10am where I received the sign of the cross in ash on my forehead. Now, at my lunchtime prayer and reflection my focus is at the opposite end of my body. My feet, and the invitation to think about how my journey of faith started.
My faith as an adult started when I was in my late 20s. I had started to attend church with my children thanks to a visit by Valerie who had persevered despite several failed attempts to find me in. Thanks to the worship Sunday by Sunday, the midweek pram service and her ministry I found that I did believe and my childhood faith was re-ignited. The other person who has been very influential in bringing me to understand more fully God’s unconditional love and forgiveness is my spiritual director, Pam. I began to see her a little further on in my journey of faith, as I followed the call to tell others the good news, by offering my feet, as it were, to be messengers of the good news of Jesus.
The Live Lent suggestion for families was to draw round your feet and write on it the names of those who brought you to a greater understanding of Jesus and God’s love so that you could thank God for them. So that’s what I did.
I also wanted to have a cross made with the ash from this morning’s service. So I mixed a bit of dry ash with a medium. I applied it to the paper using my finger, which is how it is applied to someone’s head. I then wrote the words that are said. As I was a bit pushed for time they are not very neat – it is now the end of the working day and time to eat and relax. I haven’t yet chosen a charity to support today but will do so at some point in the evening.
How has your Ash Wednesday been? Off to a good start, I hope.
Elizabeth Jones' Diary 