You guys. Did you know that Susanna Wesley had a #QuietHat too? She did! Only hers wasn’t a giant green obscenity like mine. It was just a simple little apron that she’d flip over her head when she needed what ALL moms need most: some quiet time with Jesus!
Our Substance Pastors, Peter and Carolyn, recently told parts of Susanna Wesley’s story in their first installment of, “Conquering Chaos“, and friends, there is so much goodness here!
It’s true that initially I was distracted by the fact that there had been another mom 300 years ago who had also reached her limits with her ELEVEN children and therefore started a “quiet revolution” (which is really what the Quiet Hat is), but then I got over myself and fell in love with the generational impact of her story! (Listen to it HERE if you missed it. You’ll love hearing how her kids changed the world for Jesus … all because of that little Prayer Apron, I assure you).
I mean, if my Quiet Hat can make an impact on my kids (they seriously wear it all the time), imagine what a difference it would make if I combined it with the Prayer Apron in order to teach them how to PRAY amidst the chaos?!
This would be life changing! So I’m starting it today. And you should too.
Here’s what you need:
1. A hat or apron. I, personally, love the iconic symbolism of the apron, but because mine’s always dirty (for real), I’ll just stick to my hat. Whatever you choose, though, make sure it’s something that stands out because it NEEDS to captivate your kids’ attention.
2. Children. These items can be of any size, any age, and any temperament. They can be found lying on the floor crying, in the back seat of your car refusing to come out, or ignoring you while texting. Mine are currently ages 8, 6, and 3, but because I’ve heard the demands of motherhood never wane, I’m pretty sure the “Quiet Hat-Apron” strategy will work until the end of time.
Here’s how to do it:
1. Explain what the hat / apron represents. Tell your kids that when they see you wearing it, you will not respond to them until it comes off … because you will be praying for Jesus to take the wheel! You can also use this opportunity to go further and explicate how important it is to identify one’s spiritual and emotional needs, as well as why quiet time with Jesus is SO important for our daily lives.
2. Practice using the hat / apron. This is like a fire drill. You need to model its power before you need it, so your kids will understand what’s happening when your eyeballs turn red and the hat goes on. Therefore, sit them down when you’re feeling peaceful and calm and tell them to think of some questions to ask you. Then tell them that once you put your hat or apron on, they should ask them to you, ON REPEAT. Like this:
Mom puts on her hat / apron.
Child asks why the sky is blue, what a boarding school is, or what’s for dinner.
Mom remains quiet.
Child then asks about math problems, why the Vikings never win, or why they can’t date.
Mom prays silently.
The hat / apron comes off…and THEN mom answers why Johnny can’t have a cookie.
It’s as simple as that!
And friends, you will feel SO GOOD after doing this you’ll want to keep a second hat in your car and a third one in your diaper bag (just in case).
So start today. Start spending some quality time with Jesus now – IN the chaos – because the chaos will never end, right? It will just morph and change into something different. Which is why we need to adopt a Susanna Wesley-type prayer posture NOW so our kids can SEE how important Jesus time really is.
And if you don’t think this will make a difference, just come on over to our Substance Downtown campus … called the Historic WESLEY! Yep, that’s right. Susanna’s prayer apron helped build our church.
Now go get that hat / apron!
Jonna Meidal is a mother to three girls who seeks to parent them by the fruits of the spirit (and her giant Quiet Hat). She has been to almost 20 countries (yay!), loves to write and laugh (a LOT), and can’t get through the day without popcorn (duh). You can read more of what she’s been up to at jonnameidal.com or follow her on Instagram @quiet.hat.adventures.