When I was a little girl, my dad would read a book to me called, “Old Hat, New Hat.” It is about a bear who goes into a hat shop looking for a new hat to replace his old one. It was my favorite book. The best page was the one where the bear tries on all of these different hats and you can see him trying them all on, but he doesn’t like any of them and so he says, “too beady, too bumpy, too leafy, too lumpy, too twisty, too twirly, too wrinkly, too curly.” And in the end, Bear puts on his old hat, saying, “just right!” and he leaves the store.
I’ve been thinking about the book a lot over the last week or so.
There can be a lot of distractions in my female world – distractions that complicate my calling as a woman, wife, mom, sister, friend. And if I’d like, there are a lot of hats to wear. Step into the boutique and try on a “new you.” Believe me, there are some good causes, some helpful changes that might make a “better me.” I’m not suggesting otherwise. But every hat needs to be tried on with the right perspective.
In Christ.
No matter what I’m hoping for, is it something that I can do, “In Christ”? I can obsess about my weight, or healthy eating and exercise. I can spend hours considering my children and their education or their manners. There’s my work, my identity as a musician. Or, am I a good baker, runner, gardener, housekeeper? many, many hats to keep me busy…
But truly, what good is it to be the only mom on the block who manages to cook only healthy meals for her children, and never a crumb of junk food, if it isn’t what Christ has asked of me? I would love to become that Mom, but I don’t have the capacity for it 24/7 in my life right now – and He hasn’t intervened to help me be that Mom in the way I expected. That doesn’t mean I don’t try to change some of our habits, or we shouldn’t be healthy eaters… but maybe that new hat “Healthy Super Mom” is a no-go for me.
So, lately I’ve been attempting to filter all these ideas of “what I could be” thru this lens – and this is what helps me remember that I already am a NEW CREATION:
Scripture from 2 Corinthians to help me think clearly:
13 For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; or if we are of sound mind, it is for you. 14 For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; 15 and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again. 16 Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
Questions to ask myself: By putting on this new hat (whatever that may be) is it worthy of His sacrifice? Am I choosing it for myself selfishly, or is His Spirit whispering it in my ear?
Reminders for my heart: I am reconciled to Christ, in spite of my sin or wrong doings. I do not have to live in guilt or fear of his disappointment in who I am or who I think I should try to be. I am hidden in Christ – and that makes me a beloved child of the Heavenly Father.
No matter what other hats I think I need to try out, this is the best hat that I will always wear!
Heavenly Father, thank you for your forgiveness and the reconciliation I find for my heart in your Word. May I never forget who I am in You! amen.
daily portion 