Let Go of Those Hats!

As women, you and I wear many different hats. Have you ever stopped and counted just how many hats are on your head?  They have a way of becoming such a part of us that its hard to take them off; its hard to let go of those hats.  

Maybe its because those hats represent our jobs, our titles, our professions, and most everything that we hold dear. The list can go on and on. And if that is not enough, we are always coming up with ways in which we want, and need, to put on brand new hats. All of which require our energies, our talents, and if we are honest; our hearts. 

We love our hats…

Like most of you, I have lived my life loving those hats on my head.  But there were times when they became awfully heavy as I tried to juggle the many roles and responsibilities that wearing all of those different hats entailed. It was then the Lord very poignantly brought to my attention, we were called to be His—first! No hats! 

Once that sank in, and let me tell you, it took some time for it to sink in, I was humbled. Because what it actually meant was He wanted “me.”  How awesome is that! To finally grasp that the Lord wants to spend time with us. He wants to hear everything we have to say, and He wants us to listen to everything He has to say. It is a marvelous place to be…in His Presence!

For me, that realization made it very clear that before I could be a good wife, mother, friend, worker, volunteer, educator, writer, etc., (you get the picture;) before I could be anything else at all, and I do mean anything, I had to sit with the Lord and just be “me.”  Yet what made that difficult, at first, was I noticed the more hats I had on my head, and the longer I had worn a particular hat, the harder it was to remove in order to sit down with my Lord…now why is that?

Why is it difficult to let go of those hats?

Could it be that over time our hats often become part of our identity? Maybe that is why we sometimes forget how valuable we are to Him. Isn’t that ironic?  We are so busy, so caught up with “our hats,” or the title that the hat brings, we actually forget our value comes from the Lord, not those hats. 

Stop and think of that for a moment, or maybe should I ask, can you think of that? Can you step outside of your many roles and realize that YOU are valuable to the Lord without a hat, without a title? It can be difficult to do. Sometimes it helps if you allow yourself to imagine that girl inside of you. The one that is forever a part of the you that God created. Can you take a moment and ponder, who she is? What brings her joy, what makes her smile? God knows…

Allow yourself to imagine her sitting across the table from the Lord right at this moment. What would you talk about? Remember, with the Lord you have freedom. So nothing is too silly…nothing is out of bounds! He already knows your dreams and your desires. He also knows your gifts and talents: He created you. 

Even when the time comes to take off one of those beloved hats: He can be trusted. He knows and sees much more than our earthly eyes can perceive. So why not give it a try? Why not let go of those hats, grab a cup of coffee and head out on the porch for a little one-on-one time with your Lord. He is always ready and waiting…

Psalm 139:1-4

You have searched me, Lord,

And You know me.

You know when I sit and when I rise;

You perceive my thoughts from afar.

You discern my going out 

And my lying down;

You are familiar with all my ways. 

Before a word is on my tongue

You, Lord, know it completely.

Personal note of thanks to you: 

It has been close to five years since I started writing Regina’s Porch Talk: Inspiration for a Woman’s Heart. I can’t begin to tell you what a blessing and an absolute honor it has been.This blog came about only because He put the words in motion, both in my heart and on paper. But the time has come to remove that hat, to take a step back, and to rest in the Lord. From time to time over this next year it is my hope to be able to repost some of my old blogs, just like this one today. It is hard to totally walk away from something you love. 

 I have to be honest, it has been a struggle coming to terms with this decision. I will miss you all so very much. But God is so good, and He certainly can be trusted. 

With love & Blessings,

Regina