I had a few strange encounters with people last week. They were all re-encounters; seeing people that I hadn't seen in a while and don't really know well.
The first was Chris. Chris is my barber. I hadn't seen Chris in about a year. I'm not real diligent about keeping my hair cut and sometimes go a few months between visits to the barber, and the last several times that I've been in for a cut Chris wasn't there.
My first encounter with Chris was when I preached at a small country church. I didn't really meet him and would not have remembered him on my own. It was sometime after that when he began cutting hair at the barber shop I go to. My place in line put me in his chair and we began to talk. He remembered me and liked my style of preaching. I remembered him, too. The dude has a pretty righteous beard (noticeable enough on its own) and gauged earlobes aren't common is small, country, Baptists churches. He was no longer going to church. His wife had left him and marital problems are something that small, country, Baptists churches sometimes have a difficult time dealing with. Feeling more judgement than compassion, he stopped going to church altogether. Over the past few years we've talked about God, church, relationships, cigars, and life in general. I've always enjoyed my few minutes in the chair and generally skip my turn until his chair is open when he is there.
When I went in for an overdue haircut last week, he was there. He greeted me with a huge smile and a big hug. The only thing weird about it was that it seemed perfectly natural. A half dozen or so 15-20 minute conversations over several years had built enough of a relationship to warrant such a greeting after an extended absence. Maybe he enjoyed our conversations as much as I did!
*****
A couple of months ago I had some physical therapy done for my left shoulder. It turned out that my physical therapist was also the worship leader at a local baptist church. Naturally, the conversations during our sessions tended towards faith, living that out in the work place and in life. Just after I finished my sessions with Matt, I preached a revival at a church about 80 miles away. I was talking about sharing faith in life and mentioned my encounters with my physical therapist. After that service a man inquired about the physical therapist that was also a worship leader. It was his nephew!
Since I was going back to that church (last Sunday) to preach again, I thought I'd stop by and check in on Matt (the physical therapy place is only a mile from my house). He was working with a patient when I walked in, but saw me. I chatted with the receptionist until he could break away for a moment.
After just nine therapy sessions and a couple month absence, once again I was greeted with a hug. And once again I thought it was weird that it didn't feel weird at all.
*****
Both of those guys were young men -- 30ish. The last guy is closer to my age. Our daughters went to kids' church camps together and are now married. Clint and his family moved away and left our church many years ago. Other than going to the same church and having daughters the same age, we didn't really share much else and were never close friends. A chance encounter at Baptist Hill last weekend was still celebrated with a hug.
*****
The only thing these three encounters have in common is that each of the relationships with these three men was solidified because of personal relationships with God and common beliefs that Jesus is Lord and Savior. The last one I met through church. The others were just guys I met on the road of life.
On the one hand, I probably have far too few encounters like these.
On the other hand, each one is enough ... until the next one.
John <><
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