Tip of My Iceberg

He was bitten by the acting bug that has found residence in his older sister.

Ryken, a second grader, was part of a school performance touting hats. Wearing a Viking helmet, he was surrounded by pirate hats, policemen hats, golf hats, and a plethora of others. There was singing, dancing, and lines that we could almost understand.

Performances by anyone who isn’t a professional are always enjoyable. They have nothing to prove apart from delighting family who love to see their little ones on stage. The kids, once they get over stage fright, typically have a great time.

I was there as one of the delighted ones.

A few performers didn’t have hats, and the idea was for them to figure out what hat suited them.

Isn’t that how we live life? We’re constantly trying to find out what hat suits us. We all begin with one–we’re children who belong to someone. There’s a huge learning curve there, especially if there are siblings involved. As we grow, we wear the student hat, and we grow into the hat of a responsible adult, working at something that provides for us.

Some may wear marriage hats, some put on the parent hat.

We’re approaching graduation season, and many will wear the mortarboard to reflect the reality of finishing school. Many will look for jobs to move them along the road to independence.

At times we feel uncomfortable with our many hats. Some may think it indicates too much busyness–multi-tasking isn’t effective. Some may not like the hats they’ve been given–those of physical need, suffering, or loss.

God wears many hats. We see in Genesis that He wears the Creator hat, bringing all things into being with His words. He wears the Protector and Provider hat, caring for those who are His, just as He did for the Israelites in the wilderness.

He wears the Father hat for us, providing love and compassion for all who seek to know Him.

He wore the Humanity hat when Jesus came to earth as a man, working among us to show us God.

He wore the Suffering hat when He was crucified on the cross for sins He never committed. Because He loved us.

God has given us the strength and courage to wear the different hats we will need to put on during life in a broken world.

“In the day when I cried out, You answered me, and made me bold with strength in my soul.” Psalm 138:3

“For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13

God alone can outfit us with the hat we need to deal with the harshness of this world.

He wears the same hat He gives us.

The hat of grace.