Another Unexpected Sighting

Sometimes, it's just like God keeps hitting us over the head to get a message through. Well, today's lesson is the same one I've been hearing over and over and over--look for God in the places you don't expect to find God. Last night it was Pizza Hut.

Ray's hair was getting a little longer than he likes it, so we decided to go to the barber shop today. We went in and sat down. There were 3 people ahead of Ray, so we were there a while before it was Ray's turn. I noticed that the music playing in the background was Christian music (Southern Gospel), which I thought was interesting.

When it was Ray's turn to get into the chair, he introduced himself and then me as the intern at Grace Lutheran Church. The barber, Duke, brightened right up and said he was a retired Methodist preacher! He added that we would have an interesting conversation. That we did.

Duke told us the story of his call at age 30 and the difference Christ has made in his life. He related experiences of hearing God's voice regarding moves in his ministry. What was particularly interesting, is right on the heels of reading this view of Stendahl's on the gifts of the Holy Spirit, Duke shared with us about the work of God's Spirit in the congregations he pastored. There were times when he knew God had spoken. Sometimes we are afraid to let God be God in our lives and churches.

During our time together before we left, this song was playing that I learned many years ago:





By the time we left, we knew we had met God in our brother, the barber and retired Methodist minister.