Everyone laughed at me when the one souvenir I wanted from
Australia five years ago was a cork hat.
Nobody’s laughing now. Even my wee granddaughter was
grateful for it a couple of weeks ago.
I may start an import agency bringing them in because here
in a Scottish summer, the moist air and a bit of warmth brings out the midges
and flies in droves. Not sure the corks put the midges off, but they certainly
enable gardening or walking which would otherwise be impossible.
Paul writes that we should remember to put on the armour of
God, including the helmet of salvation. I know he had in mind the helmets worn
by a Roman Soldier, but actually I think an Aussie Cork Hat might be a pretty
good helmet too.
As I go through my days, I find odd thoughts pinging into my
head. Negative thoughts. Doubts. Fears. Now if, instead, I put on a helmet
every morning with corks of Scripture bouncing around, I would be well-armed to
combat these unhelpful ideas.
Jesus wasn’t wearing a cork hat when he encountered the
devil in the desert (I don’t think...), but he was able to deflect each of the
fiery temptations with a word from the Bible.
Wearing my cork hat, I can garden in relative peace. I need
to work on positioning more of those truths and promises on my scriptural cork
hat and then my days will be exhilarating as I deflect one incoming bad thought
after another.
