Panama Hat Gets Rave Reviews

This morning as I'm walking to a local coffee shop to do some work online, I am pondering what I should write for today's blog article.

My mind begins to search.

Thoughts from yesterday, earlier this week, the video call I will make later today, and other things come to mind like flashes of lightning.

The synapses are always synapsing. 

I follow some thoughts momentarily and begin to work in my mind, laying down simple points or noting certain details of the likely message.

I can sometimes walk a few blocks and virtually write a 500-word article in my mind.

Of course, I don't type out those same 500 words, but their message is developed and conveyed.

I recall a moment Thursday morning when walking out of the nearby laundromat with my clean clothes.

A man is walking towards me on his way into the next-door convenience store.

He is all smiles as he compliments me on my hat.

I smile and say 'thank you, brother'.

He is wearing a similar hat.

He is also missing all his front teeth.

He begins telling me about the many hats he has and their name brands.

As I'm remembering this encounter on my walk this morning, I question the wisdom of mentioning his teeth to add humor to an otherwise serious article.

I can't help but think how, despite expensive name brand hats looking very nice, a better return of investment could be getting front teeth.

I can't help but wonder if this man is more interested in looking good in one way (according to name brands and fashion), but not the utility of teeth for both aesthetic and practical reasons.

As I'm pondering these thoughts in mind I hear a man speak from a vehicle that breaks my train of thought.

I am crossing a street and a vehicle has stopped at a stop sign.

I hear a voice compliment me about my hat.

I'm surprised because of what I was just thinking about.

I thank him while returning a smile and a wave and say 'thank you, brother' as I did with the other man, without breaking a stride in my walk.

Moments later he adds another compliment, this one about my 'flip flops' (sandals).

I turn and give him a 'thumbs up' with another smile, feeling now a bit embarrassed.

I don't take compliments all too well.

I guess I have never grown accustomed to them.

I've always questioned people's motives when compliments are given (to me and to others).

Now I'm thinking about a variety of things.

My purple shirt and my white linen pants.

The motivation I had in wearing these clothes this particular day along with my daily wearing of my Panama Hat and sandals.

I'm thinking about vanity.

Am I vain?

Do I project a sense of vanity?

I don't wear such things expecting to get complimented, but rather to reveal my given identity.

I've been told to wear such things (if you could believe it).

I think of women and men who make choices in what they wear in order to be noticed.

Do they hope to hear compliments or attract others to them?

A man's nature automatically finds a woman attractive.

That attraction is enhanced (and possibly enchanted) by what, and how, a woman wears her clothes.

Perhaps the opposite is true in how a man attracts a woman by his appearance, or what he says, or what he has.

Humans seem to be like birds of paradise nowadays.

The male bird of paradise was made with colorful plumage.

Their nature exemplifies an extravagant and charismatic dance to attract females.

Yet today, both men and woman put on airs of colorful garments in attracting one another.

I understand a man's temptation to feel envy or jealousy when seeing another man having what one may desire.

I live in a 'progressive' city that is very 'out' and vocal about homosexuality being mainstreamed.

As I understand the political argument, the demand for human rights is scapegoated for a 'right' to be depraved.

I know these may be construed as strong words.

What the human desires is to love and be loved despite their humanity.

This speaks to all of us, since we all have our humanity to contend with.

This love God gives without asking anything in return.

What benefits us in the mean time (while in the flesh) is obedience to the natural cadence set in motion by His Hand.

Nature describes and explains this natural order, key point when only a male and female procreate.

Although God's love is confused for things only physical, the reality is that God's love is spiritual in nature.

His love is manifested as life and in service regarding the flesh.

The physical transcription of love's notion is the lowest example when a man loves a woman and a woman a man.

Sex is the most base form of God's love.

Sadly for many people, physical sex is the epitome and apex of their understanding of what love is.

Feelings and emotions are not always accurate or dependable.

However, anything beyond the natural order mankind, of one man and one woman, is an aberration.

A genesis of confusion and much inflicted pain comes about when this reality is suspended or altered.

I mention this because the two compliments about my hat from men did not have perverse motivations behind them.

The compliments were vacant of an unnatural lust, and also vacant of envy or jealousy.

In this case, it was as if I can somehow 'hear' these hearts speaking words of kindness in reflecting what they saw.

There is more.

As I understand the world and my role in it, those compliments were purposed by God and originated from His good will.

It is one way my Father in heaven encourages me, reaffirms me, and establishes me on earth.

Today I am to have a video conference call with distant relatives for the first time.

I am a bit nervous and anxious.

I will see their likeness, besides photos, for the first time.

A picture tells only part of a story, while real-time interaction grants greater insight.

I want to look my best, but mostly speak my best to them... messaging love to them as best I can.

I already love them yet I don't 'know' them.

Since I exist in the flesh, I also feel insecurity as the next human being does.

Yet the flesh is utilized to proclaim His love.

How?

Did He not also come to exist in the flesh to proclaim His love for mankind?

Does He not also live in those who believe?

How else does He do His work but through the body of Christ on earth Today?

This is why some have been witnessed to be glowing despite their clothes (fancy or not).

For the eyes of mankind, the 'clothes make the man'.

But through the eyes of God (and those given sight to see), the Spirit makes the man.

Many men have given themselves great titles, like 'king' and/or 'prophet'... but it is God who makes such men.

Many men put on the clothes of kings and/or prophets, but these many are merely pretenders and dreamers.

It is God who places in a man the call to be a king and/or a prophet.

This is why a king is noted, by those given eyes to see, not by his clothes alone but by his heart, his ways, his words, his life.

Since God's kingdom is firmly established on earth as it always has been in heaven, the kingdoms of men mean very little when considering His kingdom.

The clothes may simply spark the observer's attention.

It is the gazing into the eyes of a king and/or a prophet that brings forth a vision of things heavenly.

Now, for me, and from today's validating experience, and this weeks' preparation of His Spirit in me, the following verse brings much more understanding than ever before:

The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. 

- Matthew 6: 22

You may suppose I am simply talking about clothes and coincidence and taking great strides in my conclusions.

That is one opinion, yet based on doubt and pessimism.

We all go there and revert to there, since we are still in the flesh.

To doubt is typical, yet we've been gifted faith.

Each of us has been given unique parts in His kingdom.

Despite our similarities in unity, we also experience (or are utilized for) surreal moments that are not clearly revealed to us.

One example of this is why it is written men were cured by the passing shadow of a disciple!

As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by impure spirits, and all of them were healed. 

- Acts 5: 15-16

If we only knew and lived out daily the Walk we've been called to.

We have our moments of participating in the divine nature.

His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. Through these He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Yeshua Christ. But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins. 

- 2 Peter 1: 3-9

May God bring your journey and your part to glorious fruition so He may be fully glorified!

I keep asking that the God of our Lord Yeshua Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in His holy people, and His incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength He exerted when He raised Christ from the dead and seated Him at His Right Hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under His feet and appointed Him to be Head over everything for the Church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills everything in every way. 

- Ephesians 1: 17-23

This blog is His way of having me share His Spirit's development in me.

You are along for the journey, but you too are called to put your hand to the plow.

Pray.

Repent.

Confess.

Praise.

Love.

Think, speak, and act in love in all situations and to all people at all times.

Repeat... and Live like He lived while on earth!

This is His calling.