Why is it called the "Beauty for Ashes Workshop"?

Why was our Papemelroti workshop entitled "Beauty for Ashes"?

We used a lot of scraps. Most people throw away their old clothes, and scrap paper. A lot of the materials we used were from "ukay ukay" clothes. Some are old, worn out, full of holes. We re-used a lot of buttons and beads, and made use of old and broken jewelry.

Sometimes in our life, we think we are of no value, worthless, unloved.

It may not be all the time, but sometimes we feel unappreciated, unwanted.

Here in the work we did today, we see that these unwanted scraps can become beautiful in the hands of someone who appreciates them.

Let us learn from this, that like these scraps, we are always beautiful in God's hands.

We are never unloved, unwanted by Him.

And even now, He is creating something beautiful in our life.

“to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.” - Isaiah 61:3