A Girl, a Hat, a Heart

I saw my heart today and it was not a pretty sight.
My Father, in his mercy, showed me that my heart is not quite right.

You see, there was a little girl, and she wore a pretty hat.
Not just any hat, mind you; but a beautiful hat that made her look just that!

There also was a mommy, and she loved her little girl.
She loved to buy her dresses just to watch her twirl.

The little girl looked beautiful, of that there was no doubt.
The mommy always wanted her to look just so whenever they went out.
You should have seen her in the hat that day, pretending to be so grown.
I took great pride in knowing that she was my very own.

I saw my heart today; and it was not a pretty sight.
The darkness there was so stark compared to the beauty of the light.

Really, the day had gone quite well.
Then I made the discovery, and my heart completely fell.

The hat was gone, in the blink of an eye.
You must remember where it is, just try.
“I put it right there,” she said;
with a sad and pitiful look of dread.

My heart started to pound, the reaction so intense.
Such feelings about a hat truly made no sense.
Until I stared right at my heart, and saw it all laid out.
There was my true treasure, I had finally been found out.

My treasure was not eternal; I was all about my stuff.
Did I even give one thought to her tiny little heart?
No.
All I said was, “I’ve had enough.”

She looked at me with her big blue eyes;
And with just a few simple words, broke right through all my lies.
Lies the enemy tries to get me to believe.
You’ve got to have more stuff if you ever want to achieve.

She looked up at me and said, “Mom, it’s just a hat.”
And suddenly I saw my heart, and then that was that.

The truth had been revealed.
The one I’ve been trying to conceal.
I can no longer serve both the Lord and my things.
I’ve got to let go of this world and realize that I have nothing to bring.

For so long I’ve worried about how we appear;
Caring more about the outside than letting God come near.
But He is so patient with me,
Gently showing where He wants me to be.

My heart is what it’s really all about.
Storing up treasures in heaven is what really counts.
The King of kings has taught me a lesson most profound;
A hat is nothing next to a crown.

Learning to Live in the Garden of Grace