Welcome to my blog. I’ve been writing newsletter articles for a while now and have gotten quite lazy as far as that goes. Well probably not lazy, just had other pressing issues so I’ve not dedicated much time to the newsletter. After doing so many other things, I’m going to give the blogging a try!
About me… I wear a lot of hats! That used to be literally also. As a Pastor’s wife, my “traditional” role in the church was to be supportive of my husband and to set a standard for the women of the church. That included the submissive role and to some degree the fashion limits in church. If I wore pants, then it was okay for others to wear pants and the like. Knowing that I became a Pastor’s wife in my early twenties, just after I graduated college, married, had a baby. I had begun a wonderful career in pharmaceuticals. All of this made my role extremely difficult to adapt to, especially since I was still a babe in Christ with little Bible knowledge. At that time I really thought that I was very independent. I wouldn’t allow others to frame me into who they wanted me to be, no not me! However I found myself in a strange place until I almost didn’t know who I was anymore. It’s funny when I look back at pictures during that season of my life it doesn’t even look like me. I recall my career development but socially and spiritually sometimes its a blank. I read an email once about being spiritual growth; it said that while you may not recall every church service or sermon, you will still grow. Just as you do not recall every meal, you do know that you ate, were not hungry and that you grew. That captures that season of my life… I may not recall much, but I do know that I was fed spiritually and I grew.
Thank God that I grew! I distinctly recall the period in which God began speaking to me and I felt His strong presence in my life. I was in a season of devotion and prayer. I longed for the presence of God. I earnestly sought after Him and I desired to hear His voice…. And He spoke to me. Within a short period, I was called upon to pray during the worship services. People would affirm the prayer by saying how blessed they were, how I spoke to God about their issue, or how they received that prayer for themselves. One Sunday morning I was asked to pray for a young lady. I was really into it, praying hard on her situation. I recall opening my eyes and seeing her eyes fixed on my “glimmery beaded super sharp Sunday-go-to-meeting” $400 hat. Funny! I’m talking to God on her behalf about her problem and all she could see were the rhinestones on my hat. Sisters at that time were really dressing up for church. Man, we would plan for a week what we were wearing to church. We’d spend the whole week working towards that look: glimmer hosiery, rhinestone jewelry, embellished suit, J. Renee shoes & purse to match. You couldn’t tell us that we weren’t sharp! However, I’m praying a powerful prayer on her behalf and all that the young lady could see was glimmer and glitz. She didn’t hear the prayer. She wasn’t empowered for a breakthrough. She remained the same. That thought stayed with me for weeks. Soon God began to show me how our exterior can distract others from His work. Thats when I decided “No More Hats”. I wanted God’s light to reflect in me and not fake glimmer from something else.
We each must reflect the light of God. Matthew 5:16 says, “In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds, and praise your Father in Heaven.” What things in your life distracts from God’s glory being reflected in you? Is it your attire or perhaps your attitude? Maybe it is those moments when you just don’t “feel like a Christian” or you just don’t want to. Perhaps its time to ponder the fake reflections that you have going on and then consider that its time for no more fakes. I give up! My prayer is that God does His work in me. I cannot do it alone. If I try, it’s fake. I want to be authentic in everything that I do, so with that, I’ve given it up, no more hats.