the barber and the barber chair

Barbers have an amazing way of being some of the best conversationalists on the planet. They seat the customer and then refer to their rolodex of questions that create a kind of trust relationship. The person in the chair is put at ease, and begins to talk freely. Growing up, my dad always took me to see "Freddie" who remembered exactly how I liked my hair cut, and remembered every detail of whatever conversation we've ever had. Even now, if I get my hair cut while visiting my folks, I go see Freddie and it's like he's my nextdoor neighbor whom I see on a daily basis.

Today Ben and I got our hair cut after lunch (we have to look HOT for our girlfriends, who come to visit in 28 days...not that I'm counting!). When I sat down in the chair, the lady came over and I volunteered information about my girlfriend coming to visit. She surprisingly took the conversation deeper into my thoughts about marriage relationships and about divorce. For the rest of the hair cut, I mostly listened (interspersed with questions) as she talked about her divorce, her 4 yr. old son and his lack of a positive male role model, her family and more. Then there was silence. The opportunity for someone to open up like this left me in awe. Then I prayed quickly before initiating the conversation again.

"May I ask you a personal question?" With a little trepidation, she looked directly into the mirror towards my eyes and nodded. "I'm a Christian, and when I pray each day, I would like to pray for you and your son. I know you need wisdom and courage - and I know that you want to have a good relationship and good communication with your son. Would that be okay?" Her eyes communicated so much as she melted. "You would really do that?" she asked. "Yes - it's my joy," I replied. "I would really appreciate it."

As we drove away, and for the rest of the day, I've been thinking non-stop about my barber and her son. I still can't believe that such a great opportunity to listen and to pray for someone opened up. Today I was physically sitting in the barber chair, but I think God allowed me to be the barber.