One of my national staff friends cuts hair in the evenings to earn a little bit of extra money. Tonight I called him up and asked if he had time to cut my hair. "Of course, come on over", he said. When I arrived at his house I found him in the middle of negotiating a selling price for his home. He welcomed me in, gave me a place to sit, had his wife serve me some hot tea, then continued with the negotiations. After about 15 minutes, he asked me if I was ready for a hair cut. "Yes, if you have time", I replied. I followed him from his front porch to a small barber's shack he had built on the edge of the road. In the window hang the words, potong rambut (literally meaning "cut hair"). As he cut my hair he explained why he wanted to sell his house and where he was at in negotiating a price. If you're interested in a very small fixer-upper in Salatiga, the house can be your's for 110,000,000 rp. (about 12,000 US).
Near the end of the haircut, he stopped and told me that I didn't have to pay. I thanked him and preceded to tell him that I wanted to pay him for the good haircut. He laughed and again refused to take my money. I was determined to pay him so I asked if I could give the money to his daughter or wife. His daughter is 10 years old, just two years younger than my daughter. Again, he said "no". Then his attitude became serious, which is rare for my friend. He said, "If you pay me, then you are not my friend". I sat there feeling a little silly. My friend, who has very little was telling me, an American with a lot, not to pay him. In Javanese, I thanked him and kept my money in my pocket. I am unwilling to lose a friend simply because I feel awkward about receiving a gift from him.
On my way home, I reflected on my Muslim friend's behavior. Had he just unwittingly become a part of an object lesson designed to remind me what I know about Christ? Surely not. After all, he doesn't know Jesus like I know Jesus. To him, Jesus is just a prophet, not a Savior. And yet, there is something inside me that has always had a hard time receiving compliments or gifts from others. This got me thinking, maybe I've treated God the same way. Maybe on this Thanksgiving Holiday, I'm thankful for my redemption, but feel like I need to pay God back. Maybe, like my friend, God doesn't want to be paid. Maybe He just wants me to be in relationship with Him. Of course, salvation through grace only isn't a new idea. It's been around for at least 2000 years and perhaps longer depending on how you read the Old Testament. It's always surprising to me how God uses situations to teach or remind us who He is and who we are. In telling this story, I hope to pass on what God is teaching me and invite you to respond similarly to the things you are learning about God. I look forward to hearing your stories. Blessings from Indonesia. Jeff
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