A Tug on Our Heartstrings

I saw an idea once; it might have been on Facebook or maybe even Pinterest. It was a photograph of a scarf attached to a railing with a tag on it explaining that it was left there for whomever needed a little extra warmth. I immediately felt the urge to repeat that random act of kindness in the city where I live, and began to think of the logistics.

I am a knitter, so I began searching for patterns that were quick and easy to complete. I decided I wanted to stockpile at least 10 hats before leaving them about town. I got out my yarn and needles and got going! (Who am I kidding? I went to my local craft store and stocked up on bulky yarn and ordered large needles online. THEN I started knitting.)

So why would I do this? The Bible is very clear on the fact that God wants us to love and take care of each other. We talk about making a difference in our communities at church every Sunday, and it finally occurred to me that small acts of kindness might be BIG to the recipient in ways I might never know. That's okay with me. In fact, it's really okay! God gave me the talent to knit and the desire to use that talent to benefit someone else, so I am doing it, without the need for praise or recognition.

This verse popped into my head and has become my mission statement:

We love because he first loved us.

1 John 4:19

I bought some leather tags on Etsy and added them to my hats, so in a quiet, gentle way, I can let the wearer know that God loves them. I tucked the verse reference on the back side of the tags with the hope and prayer that if and when the wearer sees it, he or she will be inclined to look it up and believe that message of truth.

So if I'm determined to share my hats secretly and without recognition, why am I writing a blog about it???

Because...

I've got this wonderful group of online friends from across the country that chats daily. In a recent conversation, several of these lovely ladies shared how they feel like God is calling them to serve others, but that they were unsure of what that should look like. I decided to tell them about my mission to leave hats about town. Not because I wanted to brag about my plans, but to show them even the smallest acts of kindness toward others is serving God. One of these friends who lives across the entire country from me decided this was an idea she could wrap her arms around. She is not a knitter, but she has decided to buy some hats/scarves/mittens from a local store and spread them about her town.

This blog is HER idea. She has BIG ideas, because she has BIG love in her heart, and she thinks we should spread the word and get others on board to share the love. And so the HeartStrings Project was born.

Do you want to join us? Here's how:

• Get some cozy things. Knit them, crochet them, or buy them!
• Attach a tag to your coziness to let people know it's okay to take them when they find them
• Leave them about town to bless your neighbors with a little extra warmth and love
• Let us know somehow that you've joined us. We will pray for your small act of kindness to become a BIG thing for God's kingdom.

So I am all ready to go leave some warmth about town! I've got some ideas of where I want to leave them, but now I need to wait for a day without rain in the forecast.