February 18, 2026
Well, it’s Ash Wednesday, February 18th, 2026. I was supposed to be preaching live right about now. Instead, I’m now sitting comfortable on my couch. Mother Nature decided we needed a bona fide blizzard today—whiteout conditions, couldn’t even see across the road this morning. I sure didn’t see that in the forecast last night. So, services got cancelled, and I’m here typing this out for y’all instead (with a bit of help from Gemini).
Today is one of those days where we are forced to face the music about our own mortality. We hear that ancient echo that goes all the way back to Genesis: “To dust, we are all born. And to dust, we shall all return.”
God made Adam perfect from the dust of the ground, breathing life right into him. Then Adam (and Eve) messed up, ate the fruit, and got the sobering directive: you are dust, and you’re going back to the ground. It’s a grim reminder on a snowy day like today that we are frail, sinful creatures who screw up constantly. Heaven knows I do.
That whole “dust to dust” thing hits home when I think about my roots. I found out recently that one of our church members, Megan, is also a “blossom” hailing from Blooming Prairie, Minnesota, just like my mom. Small world. My great-great-grandpa Guttorm came over from Norway around 1850 and settled there near the origins of the Cedar River. Eventually, my grandpa, Olaf Gerhard Hillson, donated a few acres of family farm land to First Lutheran Church to be their cemetery.
Now, my whole kin—great-grandparents, grandparents, aunt, and uncle—are buried in that little corner that was once Hillson land. Mom and Dad will be buried there someday, too. When I visit out there, it’s a stark reminder that life is short and fleeting.
But folks, here’s the thing. The message today isn’t all doom and gloom. Death doesn’t get the final word here. The Apostle Paul cleared this up for us.
He wrote that the first Adam was made from the dust of the earth, but the last Adam—Christ—is a life-giving spirit from heaven. We might be stuck wearing these dying, mortal bodies right now, but here’s the secret: we’re gonna be transformed. When that last trumpet blows, these mortal bodies become immortal bodies, and death gets swallowed up in victory.
Jesus Christ came to this earth, suffered, was tempted, and bore our sins on the cross for us. He was buried, but three days later He rose again so that we don’t have to remain dust forever.
So, for Day 80 of 365 Days of Thanksliving, that’s exactly what I’m grateful for. I’m thankful for the reminder today that I’m a sinful mess, sure, but I’m way more thankful that in Christ, the slate is wiped clean.
What are you thankful for on this Minn-eh-SNOW-ta kind of day. Leave a comment and let me know.