40 Days of Hope and Love Sightings

Today is day 1 of 40. Ash Wednesday.

As I wandered around Bed Bath & Beyond and Target with my sister today, I saw several people with ashes on their foreheads. I didn't go to a service this morning, and I won't be going to one tonight either. (I"m actually having girls night and drinking cosmos... oops.) However, it is the first day of the journal I got from The Naptime Diaries. (You can get one here.)

For the first ten days, I'll be reading and writing about hope. For today, it opened with the story of when the baby Jesus was dedicated at the temple, and Simeon and Anna proclaimed who he was.

I love that it began with a story from Christmas to talk about hope. Because that's where it all started. Hope came into the world when Jesus was born. Also, I feel like Simeon and Anna embody the idea of hope in such a beautiful way. Simeon waited for years and years because God had promised him he would see Jesus before he died. Then, in his old age, he finally sees the baby.

Then there is Anna the prophetess who spent every single day in the temple praying, for years. She was always there. And God pulled through for her.

One of my favorite songs from Todd Agnew's Christmas album is about Simeon. You can listen to it here.

It makes me think of waiting. Waiting is actually what Advent is all about, but it's good to be reminded of waiting at the beginning of Lent. I feel like waiting and hoping go hand in hand. We hope because we don't have what has been promised yet. We wait for what is to come. We've been waiting for Jesus, but now he has arrived and done what he has promised! Yet, we still wait to see him for ourselves. We wait for other promises. We wait for guidance and help. We know it is coming and God is there.

Today also marks for the first day of Love Sightings.

Today's love sighting:  One of the little boys in the class I teach wasn't feeling well today. How the teacher and the other aide were helping him and taking care of him was so wonderful. They did everything they could to try and make him feel better.

Did any of you do anything for Ash Wednesday today? Are you giving up or taking up anything for Lent? Any love sightings?

Linking up with Oak & Oats for her Ash Wednesday Link-Up. You can find it here.