Ash Wednesday service for little people

I have been feeling a little defeated lately that our church situation isn't quite what I had hoped for. When Eddie was a baby, I envisioned a loving community where everyone knew him, a service that was accessible with music and activities that would draw him in. To be fair, when he was born, that's what he had. Maybe 15 people from the church were crowded into our tiny apartment for bible study just after he was born and they helped give him his first bath. 

The church we go to now is a nice church. There are other little kids that run around. There is fun music from time to time and the people there do know the kids. It's just not the home I had hoped for. And now that Eddie is older, he squirrels around in his seat. I play police man like every other mother. I long to provide a more meaningful connection to faith. I was planning to take the kids to ash Wednesday service, but Andrew was tired and I knew it would be a disaster.

So, we had our own service. I asked the kids to draw pictures. Make them extra nice.

I explained that in life, all things get broken, even people. And we put the pictures in a bowl and set them on fire. Andrew was very concerned. A little sad. It very much had an Ash Wednesday tone as we watched the fire slowly consume the paper. But then the fire alarm went off and that lightened things a little. 

I added oil and mixed the ash. I told them. That an amazing thing is that even though things get broken, they can be made new. And even when people get broken, God can make them new.

Using the ash, they made cards to send to their grandparents and godparents.They both learned how to make the sign of the cross. Then, I went on instagram and showed them pictures of people with the ashes on their head and told them that all around the world people are remembering that things get broken, that they are broken and that God can make them better.

Then I put ashes on each of the boys heads. Eddie put ashed on my head. And of course, we had to take a #selfie and post it on instagram.