hat

I have this hat. Or, rather, I should say I used to have it. My daughter Kayla has confiscated it this winter, so it’s technically been passed down to her now.This hat has a history. It was worn over many Iowa winters of brutal cold, below zero temps before wind chills were even figured into the temperatures. I wore it for years, keeping my ears and head very warm. From middle school (then called Junior High) through college, I wore it. The hat is simple and white with a turned up band and a multicolored large pompom at the crown. A gift made by my grandma Gladys eons ago. She called it a ‘stocking cap’.This hat is one of memorabilia of made items from Grandma Gladys I still have, even though she has been gone well over 20 years. A guru in the fiber arts, I especially identify with her as I am a quilter. More importantly, the fact that I can hold on to this lone winter item is indeed a mystery. You see, I have a notorious mitten / outer-winter-wear history.

As a child, no string, clip, threat, shame or other fashioned attachable could keep both my mittens on my little person. Often I’d lose one somewhere between the walk from school to home or playing outside with a friend or shopping with Mom. This was usually not discovered until the next morning as I got ready for school My mitten losing talent exasperated my mother into putting any two mittens on my hands, in part to teach me a lesson in responsible mitten management. I imagine the thought of two different mittens might have motivated some children to be more careful about them, but I guess the ‘stylin,’ or perhaps the novelty of being that unique did not have the desired effect. In any event, I still constantly lost mittens.But not that hat. That handmade, simple hat has stuck with me for literally decades. The hat has traveled with me through living on Navy bases in Hawaii and California, a total of 10 household moves since marriage. This may be deemed notable by some, mostly likely a miracle by my mother.You’ve probably had certain items in your life that are important. Perhaps it is a quilt, an old diary, a photograph or other reminder of what was from or made by someone you love. These items stir up memories, reminding us of treasured relationships in the past as well as the present. Perhaps it isn’t an item but a story, a memory of an event that you hold dear, that you hold important?

Jesus teaches us that God finds certain aspects of our life of discipleship are very important. What does Jesus say is important for us to hold on to? Here is my understanding:

* God above all else (whether religion, government, all other aspects of our lives)
* Obedience to God
* Kingdom on earth is as important as getting into the heaven
* Grace extended as grace is received
* Love on another
* Caring for the poor in body and spirit, for the oppressed and marginalized
* Prayer
* The heart for God over the head for God

These are important practices for me as I continue my discipleship journey. Jesus talks about following in his wake. Searching on the term, I found 21 references in the New Testament, NIV for “Follow me”. Here are a few of these.

 

* “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” Matthew 4:19 Follow me and learn how to teach others about the good news, and then teach the good news.

* As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed him. Mark 2:14 Follow me and I will teach you about the value of all peoples.

* Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” Mark 10:21 Follow me, and I will teach you about what is valued more than possessions and money.

* Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me. John 12:26 To follow me, you must serve. Jesus is a servant, we must be servants.

* He said to another man, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Luke 9: 59-60 No earthly commitment, no activities supersede what God thinks is important. Follow me and learn that God’s Kingdom is the first priority.
I think the reason I hold on to this old crochet hat is the memory of my grandma, to me this is a tangible look into the past, a valuable part of who I am today. As a “follower” of Jesus, the different hats we wear as disciples are valuable and important for spiritual growth and obedience to God. All call us to follow Jesus, for learning and growing from the heart for God’s Kingdom above all else.Following the leader,
Deana

God does not want hearers and repeaters of words, but doers and followers who exercise themselves in the faith that worketh by love. — Martin Luther, a 16th century reformer, A Compend of Luther’s Theology.