Hey friends, Ash Wednesday is here—the day we smudge ashes on our foreheads and whisper, “Remember you are dust.” It’s raw, honest, and a little uncomfortable. But this year, let’s dig deeper. What if Lent isn’t just about giving up chocolate or scrolling? What if it’s about noticing needs—ours and our neighbors’?
Here’s the thing: Isaiah 58 flips the script on fasting. God says, “Is this the fast I choose? To share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house?” Translation: True repentance isn’t just about us. It’s about seeing the person shivering outside the church doors, the family choosing between groceries and rent, the kid who needs mittens… or does she?
Wait—hold up. Let’s talk about that mitten closet.
The PDF tells a story about a church that donated mittens to a nearby Native reservation every winter. They felt great about it… until they learned the reservation had a whole closet of unused mittens. The people didn’t need mittens—they needed relationships, dignity, and a say in what help looked like. Ouch.
So this Lent, let’s ask: Are we filling closets, or meeting real needs?
Reflection for the Week:
- When you pray or fast, how often do you think about others’ needs versus your own?
- What’s one thing your community actually needs right now? (Hint: Ask them. Don’t assume.)
A Prayer to Carry You:
“Saving God, you never forget those who need you. Help us see the world through your eyes—not as a problem to fix, but as kin to love. Amen.”
Hymn Highlight:
The line “We share each other’s woes” hits different this year, doesn’t it?
Bottom Line:
Lent isn’t a self-help challenge. It’s a call to loosen our grip on our wants and tighten our grip on each other. So let’s trade guilt for grace, assumptions for listening, and closets for connection.
Ashes to ashes, dust to dust—and mittens only when they’re needed.