The Importance of Head Protection

I can still hear my Mama say, "You need to put your toboggan on, or you'll catch your death of cold." The connection between wearing a knit cap and preventing viral infections seemed iffy, at best. If I ever put that cap on, I don't remember it.

I've rarely worn hats, baseball-style caps, or knit caps. When temperatures recently dipped into the single digits, however, headwear became considerably more attractive. I dug in my glove-and-cap basket until I found a knit cap that must've been twenty years old. It was gray, had a hole in one side, and fit about like draping a piece of fabric over my head. It slipped off at least twice every time I wore it to the barn and required constant readjustments to keep it in place.

Yesterday, my gray cap fell off when I leaned over to scoop some manure from one of the stalls. That was the final straw. I threw the cap in the garbage. When I went to the feed store, I bought a new, bright red knit cap with a pompom on top. The style was most suitable for a child, but it fit my head and stayed in place. I wore it home.

I know the importance of covering your head to prevent heat loss, but I've never bothered with it before. This week, I've reconsidered my decision. Today, I'll wear my new cap to the barn and, likely, to the office, as well. I'm tired of being cold, so I've decided to protect my head. My Mama would be so proud.

There's another kind of head-protection that's even more important than wearing a cap in cold weather. We're constantly bombarded by worldly words, opinions, and images from social media, news outlets, books, television, movies, and music. When we allow these influences into our mind, they have a significant impact on our thoughts and our actions. 

The responsibility to guard our minds and hearts is ours alone. We're not accountable for what's available, but we are accountable for what we choose to do with it, and how we allow it to change us. Does it make us more like Christ or not? If not, why do we choose to fill our minds with it? 

Today, let's take a serious look at the influences we allow into our minds. Would Jesus choose them? If not, should we? Let's be sure to protect our heads and our minds.

"Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence, and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things." Philippians 4:8 nasb
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In case you missed it, here's the link to yesterday's post: Resolution Check: How I'm Doing on Getting Things Done

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Making a Choice and Choosing a Path
Pigpen Parables: The Place of the Piggy Heart
Intentionality: Changing Wanna Be Into Got'er Done