Yankees Fan

147/365

For the past few years, I have had one particular hat that I always seem to wear. Complete with navy blue fabric and crisp, white stitching, my NY Yankees baseball hat is my go-to accessory. Each time I wear it, the blue gets grayer, almost as if it was proving my exclusive commitment to the team.

Why the NY Yankees, you say? Well, isn’t it obvious that I consider myself a major supporter of their sports program? Hardly. The truth about my favorite hat has absolutely nothing to do with what it stands for but everything to do with convenience. Everyone loves the Yankees right? Cool hat + cheap price = Tara’s choice.

The problem with my exclusivity in regards to this hat is that everyone just assumed I was a diehard Yankees fan…and after a while, I attempted to own that trait. (Trust me, there is no problem in faking allegiance until someone begins to test you.)

There I was, faithfully sporting my support for the New York Yankees major league baseball program, but knowing nothing about them. I did not know what they stood for. I did not know about their history. Heck, I could not even name a player on that team until Derek Jeter caught my eye. One word defines what I felt on a weekly basis: Busted.

As difficult of a lesson as this was to learn with this whole hat issue, I began to find myself wearing disguises in other areas of my life as well. Yes, I was a sorority girl…but sisterhood meant nothing to me. Yes, I was a “Bible-Thumper” for a period…but my heart was never moved to such a rigid acceptance of the Gospel. And worst yet, I spent much of my life appearing as though I was a Christian…but, internally, I always walked the other way.

Psalm 139:23
“Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts!” – ESV

The Word of God is full of warnings against appearance-only faith. Time and time again, God says that our hearts will be tested. There isn’t a disguise big enough to keep the truth from our Almighty.

We must live our lives in such a way that no one ever feels the need to test us.