Scissors and Stretching

This hair stylist guy, Travis, he's not what you think. Something supernatural happens when you sit in his chair, and it's not the highlights or the cut. You come in the same and walk out changed. Huh.?

You'll find this guy, Travis, at Jenny's Salon in Mechanicsburg. I always loathe the drive, especially during rush-hour, but I always leave squinty eyed, seeing the silver lining.

This time, he asked how things were going. What's new since last time? How's Brandon? All the usual stuff that your hair guy asks, but then he asked those simple-yet-profound questions that make me feel like I'm in therapy. The really, really gooood therapy. The kind where you have the "Ah-ha!" moment and realize what all the money you spent on therapy was for.

"Well, I really feel like I'm being stretched".

"What do you mean? Can you explain?"

Simple answers never fly with this guy. I always have to (get to) dig deep and be real.

"Well, I started XY&Z because I wanted to be obedient, but I never realized that it was going to lead to all of this stretching. I never realized that being obedient may start out as one thing, but then lead to another. If you say yes to the one thing, you may as well say yes to the next, especially when you see that saying no would stop the forward motion".

And I DON'T WANT THAT. I don't ever want to stay still or give up an opportunity for forward motion.

He nodded his head, listening and dissecting all I had said.

"You know, you and your friends were the first people that I had ever met that gave christianity a good name."

I stare at my reflection while he scissors and combs my hair.

"You were the first people that I had met, who live normal lives and yet love God and love other people".

He was being my therapist and yet me, we, had changed his views?

The rolodex of time spanned through my mind and I realized a common denominator in all of my visits to the salon (12 years and counting). I was always honest. I was always vulnerable ( I mean, as much as you are with the guy who does your hair). I didn't spare my mess-ups.

What can God do with us when we're honest, we're vulnerable, we don't spare sharing our mess-ups?

He can do anything. Because He's God.

Do you remember when Paul was honest? In Acts (26), when he was vulnerable and shared his huge, freaking crazy mess-ups.

I wonder what he would have told the guy who cut his hair.

I wonder if the guy who cut his hair would have been changed or thought he was crazy.

So, to summarize, stretching is good, especially if you know it is part of forward motion. No one ever did a split without practicing a few times, or a lot. Being honest, vulnerable, and willing to share our mess-ups may not only change us, but the others.

And, if you need a really great cut or color, go to Travis at Jenny's Salon or my sister, who will be graduating cosmetology school in a month. ;)

Cheers! You're awesome.