God travels with us but it doesn’t mean that the path will always be easy or comfortable.
When God calls Abram to leave his family and home and set out in faith God promises that Abram will be a blessing. God promises that when we set out in faith, leaving behind the familiar and comfortable, we too will be a blessing.
It is the distorted desire of humanity that separates us from God and one another: it is the desire of God that brings life and flourishing.
We mark ourselves with ashes as a reminder that we are human and the path to a deeper walk with God is through humility rather than hubris.