"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations..."  Matthew 28:19

I sat down in the chair.  The chair really isn't that comfortable but I have been sitting in chairs like this one since I was four years old.  After sitting down, John put a plastic apron around my neck that draped over my lap and pulled out his scissors.  He began by trimming my eye brows and then stopped, leaned against his work counter and said, "So Ed, what is the short definition of being a Christian."  I shared with John that a Christian is one who knows that he or she is has violated God's standards and that there is a penalty to pay for those violations, much like a ticket.  A Christian also understands that God loves us so much, that He willingly choose to send His Son, Jesus, to become a man, live a perfect life to die a criminals death because he took our sin upon Himself to pay for our violations against God.  Once committing his or her life to Jesus and trusting in His payment for our sins, a Christian then would live a life that pleases.  The haircut picked up again and we continued to dialog about things spiritual.

John has been cutting my hair for over five years now.  I have shared many spiritual truths with him and he has flirted with attending large churches.  After my last haircut, it seems as though we are beginning to really talk about our souls in a fresh and deeper way.  Next month, John wanted me to come in at his last haircut of the day so we could go to the restaurant next store and grab a cold drink and talk some more...prayfully about following Jesus.

Later in the day, I made a phone call to a local Christian leader to say hello and to chat for a bit.  In the middle of our conversation, this friend began to share how he was concerned that it is now taking longer and longer for people to make and follow through on spiritual decisions.  This is a reality that I and many others are experiencing.  It was of some comfort to hear another leader in our area make this observation. 

I tell you these two short stories as encouragement to never give up in doing what is right.  God is still on the throne and prayer and the sharing of truth changes things.  Whether it takes five years of short interactions with your hair dresser or months, sometimes a year or more, of deeper conversations with friends, sharing the life of Jesus is always fruitful. 

Sometimes, like unseen carrots growing underground, spiritual fruit is maturing in the deep recesses of the soul where no one sees but God.  So don't loose heart but stay focused on the prize, which is Jesus Christ!

Get out there and cast some seeds!

Blessings,

Ed Waken

Originally posted in a letter to Valley Life Church here