We had visitors on Saturday, and among them was a little boy named Bryant. Bryant was excited because he was going to attend his first college basketball game. He told me that he had tried out for basketball. Although he didn’t make it this year, he was confident that he was going to be a basketball player when he grew up. At some point, Bryant realized that both of the adults who were with him were wearing Western Kentucky University shirts. He seemed a little sad that he wasn’t. So, I asked my husband if he had a WKU cap that he might give him. Ian came back with one, and we gave it to Bryant. Bryant was appreciative and excited, but here’s the thing.
That was Brandon’s hat.
For the past four and a half years, it’s been in the back of my husband’s truck. Ian said that every time he looked at it, it made him emotional. Until Saturday, he hadn’t even brought himself to pick it up.
“I think Brandon would have liked for him (Bryant) to have it,” he said.
And I’m sure he’s right. Brandon wasn’t much on material things; he was a sucker when it came to kids.
Yet, it still wasn’t easy to give away. Why? The hat wasn’t an expensive gift in terms of financial worth. I think we purchased it from Dollar General. It wasn’t a one-of-a-kind or a collector’s item. It can be easily replaced. The hat was special because it belonged to Brandon. The value of the gift was directly related to our relationship with our son and the sacrifice of giving up something that was his.
Of course, Bryant has no idea. To him, it’s just a hat—a cool hat—but still just a hat. He couldn’t understand what that hat means because he’s not a parent; he’s never lost a child; and he didn’t know Brandon.
It made me think about my salvation. I appreciate Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. I even get excited about it when I think about Heaven, but how often do I really think about the value of the gift?
God sacrificed his only son to pay the price for my sins. Jesus gave up the glories of heaven in order to be born as a human and suffer immeasurably for my benefit. The worth of the gift is directly related to the relationship and the sacrifice. Salvation is special not just because it’s my Get-out-of Hell Free card. Salvation is a priceless gift because it demonstrates God’s love for me.
Brandon’s hat was serving no purpose in the back of Ian’s truck. We’d rather see it worn by someone who will enjoy it. In fact, we hope that it becomes Bryant’s favorite hat, that he wears it for years to come, and that he will still be wearing it when, one day, he walks into Diddle arena as a college student himself.
In the same way, if I truly value the gift of salvation, then it won’t be something that stays hidden in the privacy of my own heart. My faith shouldn’t be something that I put on Sunday morning and set aside Sunday night. It shouldn’t be something that I hide under the desk when it doesn’t suit me. In fact, Ephesians 6:17 says that we should put on salvation like a helmet.
On Saturday, Bryant’s hat showed his allegiance to Western. It was a visual representation of which team he was cheering for. In the same way, my salvation should be visible to the world at large. It’s not about who I say I am; it’s about how I live. The best way for Bryant to show appreciation for our gift is to wear Brandon’s hat. The best way I can honor God’s gift is to imitate his son.