We had a noon service, it was packed. Afterwards, I was headed home and remembered that I needed Cokes and stopped at the nearest store. As I was paying for them one of the employees said “I had completely forgotten that it was Ash Wednesday!”
I would have normally washed them off before I went anywhere, I told the man when the next service was and there were about 10 other people around, I chalked it up to the Holy Spirit using me to give a little reminder.
I never wash off the ashes until the next morning.
Wonderful story! Here at work, I do something similar. The Rector of the Cathedral comes each year to distribute ashes to the legislators who can't make it to Mass. I disseminate the time and place information to all the staff on my floor and in an adjacent building. It is always met with appreciation.
Each small act is a personal gift we offer up to our Lord.