Hats!

 Last week in our homeschool, it was H week for my kindergartener. We talked about different hats people wear, why hats are worn, read hats books, made a hats collage with magazine pictures, and made HATS of course! Here are a few of the hats we made...

The hats theme set my mind to thinking about all the "hats" that I wear in my life...

-The "Mommy" hat- the one that I wear when helping my children solve their battles, encourage them to be kind, pray with and for them, discipline them, talk to them, offer advice and assistance, read books about how to care for their needs in a new way...

The "Teacher" hat- the one I wear while homeschooling them, teaching them to write their letters, read, how to add, subtract, multiply and divide, helping them with their social studies lessons, reading maps, reading books to them, teaching them to tie their shoes, how to write a letter, how to write an essay, and much, much more...This hat is also upon my head when I am planning and teaching my American Girl class in our co-op each week...

-The "Wife" hat- worn as I listen to, respect, love, adore, speak to, laugh with, work alongside, parent alongside, shop with, and play with my amazing husband!

-The "Pastor's Wife" hat- my husband is the Worship Pastor at our church, and so I dress up a little more for church, pray for others in church, minister in small ways, support my husband, suggest songs to him, pray for him, sing alongside him at times, and worship in and amongst our body of believers. What a blessing it is, and this hat usually gets me walking a little lighter...

-The "maid" hat- washing the dishes, doing the laundry, putting it away, picking up toys, and anything that gets tossed on the floor, couch, stairs, where it doesn't belong...

-The "chef" hat- I wear this while concocting delicious food combinations, trying out new recipes, scouring cookbooks for a new set of directions on how to make something delicious!

-The "seamstress" hat- worn while crafting a new pattern into a shirt, or a curtain, or a bag! Also worn while tediously hand-sewing a button, a patch onto an AWANA vest, or a torn seam on a skirt...

-The "friend" hat is not worn as much as I'd like, but I do wear it as I talk to other moms at MOPS and church, talk to my old college roomie on the phone, make a new friend at the park, and sometimes while talking with my hubby...

-The "Sister/ Daughter" hat- I do speak to my parents & siblings frequently by phone, and also connect with them via Facebook and Twitter. We try to get together as often as we can, usually on holidays. My hubby's family mostly lives nearby, and we see them several times a week, and we speak on the phone with his Mom-sister that live an hour away...

-The "cousin" hat- is not worn too often, but I do wear it when I reply to a post or check out cute photos of my cousins and their kids on Facebook. I love seeing pictures since I live so far away from most of them and don't physically see them but maybe once a year...

Have you seen a person wear two hats? It looks a little funky, and it feels kinda funky when you wear two hats. It can be done, but not always done well. That's how it feels when I try to blend my roles, some of them are blended easily, others, not so much... I can make dinner while I talk on the phone to my sister, but the dinner may be burned! Sometimes I can wear them both with ease, being a mother and a sister at the same time isn't too hard, being a friend and a wife to my husband usually works, being a mother and a wife is usually easy... but all that hat changing can get exhausting! No wonder I am tired every evening!

Amy Grant has a song about this phenomenon, called "Hats", here are the lyrics, found here. This is not a favorite song of mine, but I can identify with the message more now as I am *ahem* older....

Hats lyrics
Songwriters: Eaton, Chris; Grant, Amy;

The sun goes up
The breakfast show
Can't you see me running?
It's crazy, don't you know?
(Don't you know, don't you know?)

The moon is high
I'm workin' through the night
Will somebody tell me
Where do all the hours go?
(I don't know)

Well, it don't stop
No, it's never gonna stop
Why do I have to wear
So many things on my head?
(Hats)

One day I'm a mother
One day I'm a lover
What am I supposed to do?
(Hats)

Working for a livin'
All because I'm driven
To be the very best for you

The water is hot
(So hot)
The phone don't stop
(Hello, good bye)

So how do I manage
To hold on to my sanity
(I don't know, baby, I don't know)

The red dress on
Time for having fun
(Time for having fun)
But can I really be
The girl you think you see me?

The spirit is willing
But the flesh is weak
Why do I have to wear
So many things on my head?
(Hats)

One day I'm a mother
(One day I'm a mother)
One day I'm a lover
(One day I'm a lover)
What am I supposed to do?
(Hats)

Working for a livin'
(Working for a livin')
All because I'm driven
(All because I'm driven)
To be the very best for you
(Hats)... 
repeat chorus...
repeat bridge...

This book also spoke to me about the different hats we are called to wear. Sometimes others try to put a hat on us that doesn't fit-- too big, too small, makes us trip, but we feel obligated to wear it since they gave it to us. God has given us each a "hat"(or several) to wear, so wear it well!


"Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. ²⁸ And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. ²⁹ Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? ³⁰ Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues^[d]? Do all interpret? ³¹ Now eagerly desire the greater gifts." 1 Corinthians 12:27-31