Holy Haircut

My favorite thing about sabbatical so far has to be the opportunity to SOAK in the "Holy Bible Hot Tub". When do I get 3 uninterrupted hours just to read large portions of God's Word? Especially the freedom to read without any thought of "how can I use this help someone?".

Soaked in Hebrews and reveled again in the joy of knowing Christ is my "High Priest" and my "brother" who has been tempted in all the same ways that I am, thus calling him should be my automatic response to all temptation.

Spent time dealing with a magazine that is going to be advertising the book Kevin Mannoia and I wrote.

Went to Kelowna to help Deb run errands. While there got a haircut or as my dad used to say, "Got my ears lowered". This event turned out to be a teaching point for me.

Getting your haircut with a new "barber" or "stylist" is always an adventure. One other time I got a haircut in Canada and it was a disaster that took 4 weeks to recover from. I don't think I'm very vain but when you it looks like a bowl was used as the template for your style, it's kind of humilitating.

So with a prayer and a sigh, I entered the hallowed, hair-filled, hall of "New Hair Salon". The girls were playing poker but stopped long enough to look up and then drew straws to see who would have to cut the "old guy's" hair. Karly lost, so she took over with the confidence of a teen driver trying out a stick shift for the first time.

The next hour Karly's scissors were taking small snips of hair, but she ensured she kept her body between me and the mirror...I could hear and imagine the damage up top but I couldn't view it. My prayers were more fervent, every time she said "whoops!"

More seriously, I felt worse and worse not about my haircut but about Karly's life. Question after question was met with an answer that had "empty" written all over it. I kept thinking, "Karly you need a new stylist for your life!" My heart was honestly moved for her plight.

The Lord seemed to be speaking to me about the emptiness of the human heart and the nourishment of His Word (which I had enjoyed so richly in the morning). My life has a mission of bringing His LIFE to empty lives.

Finally Karly was finished and she said, "You want to take a look?". (Drum Roll...please) What do you know but Karly had done a great job! I still didn't look like Brad Pitt but I didn't look like Danny Divito either. My compliment and my tip were the highlight of her day.

Lord, I pray that people who are living dead end lives, can come to know your love that "re-styles" everything in life. Use me, Lord, I pray.

some of the story above was grossly exaggerated