January 17, 2017

Most people will never personally know this man or his work. A behind-the-scenes kind of guy (and yet somewhat of a low key Michigan and Internet phenomenon) he is not one to let neither his age nor his health keep him down or hold him back.¹ In fact, in spite of both, he continues to spend the remaining time he has on this Earth working to make a difference in his corner of the world.

Prior to the Christmas holiday’s I had no knowledge of this man. However, one evening during the break, his story was featured on the local news. Although his story has previously circulated on a number of other news sites, this was the first time I had heard of the man, his story, and his cause.

Who is this man?

His name is Moorie and he’s known as The Hat Man.²

While those two descriptors give little insight besides a dual moniker, allow me the opportunity to share a few facts about this individual.

Moorie is 91 years old and for 15 plus years he’s been knitting caps.³ The sheer number of caps he’s crafted during that time is impressive. His creations exceed 8000.⁴ However, he doesn’t spin the yarn for money, but does the exact opposite and gives away each methodically created cap.

Despite poor health and being under hospice care, he has continued his craft of knitting hats for the homeless.⁵ Working diligently he cranks out (or rather knits) one cap every couple of days.⁶

Talk about selfless acts of service! At 91 he’s earned the right to hang up his knitting loom. He doesn’t, though, because he sees more than skeins of yarn in the piles and boxes of donated thread lining his room.⁷ He sees a person. He sees a need. And he does something beyond seeing. He takes action. With each stitch he pours compassion and love into his knitting projects,⁸ which spills over to the lives he touches; lives he will most likely never meet.

Moorie inspires me. He inspires me to not dawdle away my time with meaningless self-centered ambitions. He inspires me to think of others more than I think of myself. He inspires me to continue to use each breath I have left to make a difference in someone else’s life.

He also reminds me of Matthew 25:40: “Truly, I say unto you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it unto me.” ESV

What individual’s story inspires you? Join the conversation and share their story with us.

Check out the following links to read more about Moorie. These are the same links I accessed to assist me with writing this post.

http://www.wzzm13.com/news/local/michigan-life/the-hat-man/346244146

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2016/08/09/man-91-in-hospice-care-is-still-knitting-hats-for-homeless.html

** Featured photo is compliments of Pixabay.com

Notes:

1-5, 7-8.) wzzm13.com

6.) foxnews.com/health