Peter, the Pajama Man
November 17, 2020
A neighbor called me "The Pajama Man." The name stuck. Rain or shine, I walk to our mailbox up the street in my robe, slippers and pajamas. Jesus kicked tradition in the shins and so did I. He is my role model. He is a revolutionary, not an evolutionary. He listened to the beat of a different drummer, his Father’s heart. I listen to Jesus’ heart, the Son of Man, the Son of God, the Word of God!
 
History of the Necktie
The necktie that spread from Europe traces back to Croatian mercenaries serving in France during the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648). These mercenaries from the Croatian Military Frontier, wearing their traditional small, knotted neckerchiefs, aroused the interest of the Parisians. Because of the difference between the Croatian word for Croats, Hrvati, and the French word, Croates, the garment gained the name cravat (cravate in French). The boy-king Louis XIV began wearing a lace cravat around 1646, when he was seven, and set the fashion for French nobility. This new article of clothing started a fashion craze in Europe; both men and women wore pieces of fabric around their necks. From its introduction by the French king, men wore lace cravats, or jabots, that took a large amount of time and effort to arrange. These cravats were often tied in place by cravat strings, arranged neatly and tied in a bow.
International Necktie Day is celebrated on October 18 in Croatia and in various cities around the world, including in Dublin, Tübingen, Como, Tokyo, Sydney and other towns. (Copied from the on line Wikipedia Encyclopedia)
All my ties are up for grabs! Has tradition put a noose around our necks, around my neck? Are we even aware that we may be wearing a choke collar? We so easily say to ourselves, "If everyone around me is doing it, saying it, listening to it, wearing it, eating it, smoking and drinking it, it must be OK." That kind of logic is plain foolishness and stupidity. What does God say? Am I able to hear his voice? There are so many voices to choose from. Do I have what is takes to say "NO" to the voice of the world? I must learn to hear and follow the voice in my heart, not my head. God lives in our hearts if we invite Him.
I listen to the beat of a different drummer today. I try to ignore tradition like it was a death sentence for my soul; like it was death warmed over. I try to let the whispered voice of the Holy Spirit guide my footsteps, thoughts and actions. I try; I don’t always get it right and have to be course-corrected.
Fashions and fads can no longer tease a penny out of my pocket and trap me in a prison of "conformity." Fresh out of college, that was a different story. Yes, today at 87, I have been nicknamed "the pajama man." I seldom wear anything else, even when I go to the mailbox. If someone wants to meet this pajama man, they have to knock on his door, catch him at the mailbox or read "To Hell and Back."
It takes courage to pen these words. It takes courage to challenge the status quo, to challenge what is considered politically and religiously correct. Have we, have I opted for a closet full of fashionable attire or is simplicity my normal? Is my wardrobe full of clothes? How often does it see the light of day? Am I wearing the clothes and the countenance that draws attention to myself or to King Jesus? Do I have a "herd mentality" that tempts me to fit in and be politically and religiously correct? Am I trapped by tradition but am unaware of it? Tradition can so easily become the law of the land and put us into bondage from cradle to grave. Jesus came to set us free from tradition so that we would fulfill our high calling in Christ Jesus. Every person has one! Do I know what it is? Good question, don’t you think?
These are sobering questions. It takes courage to even ask them. It takes courage, a ton of courage to step out of the box of conformity and do LIFE the Jesus Way! Chances are, we may get stoned like Stephen, the first martyr. If we do LIFE Jesus’ way, we will only have a handful of friends on planet earth, but a crowd waiting to greet us as we step into the next. We won’t get many "hits" on You Tube.
Every person is given the chance to decide for himself. Am I going to follow tradition, the lust of my flesh or Jesus? Many are given more than one chance. That’s God’s amazing grace. Grace will not illuminate our darkness forever. This may be the last time the Holy Spirit is gently tapping you on your shoulder. If He is and has, don’t delay telling others that Jesus has become your new "normal" and new reality.
Jesus asked his Father to send the Holy Spirit to those who love, trust and obey Him, Jesus. Without the Holy Spirit’s leading, we cannot make it, will never find our way back home to our Father’s house, will never know how to spot sin in our life before it overpowers us. If you want to know Him, you have to invite Him, the Holy Spirit. He won’t come unless He is invited. Read the Book of Acts, chapter 2.
Be the Lord’s Sharpshooter. Take these words to heart and pierce the darkness. (Isaiah 49:1-3)
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All writings by Peter, the Lord's Scribe and Storyteller and all paintings by Rebekah, the Lord's artist are copyright free.
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