The Barber and God

I received this story as an email forward from a friend a few days ago and thought it was too good not to share, so I'm sharing it with you.

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A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed. As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation. They talked about so many things and various subjects. When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said: 'I don't believe that God exists.'

'Why do you say that?' asked the customer.

'Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God doesn't exist. Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick people? Would there be abandoned children?

If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain. I can't imagine a loving God who would allow all of these things.'

The customer thought for a moment, but didn't respond because he didn't want to start an argument.

The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop.
 
Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard.

He looked dirty and unkempt. The customer turned back and entered the barber shop again and he said to the barber:

'You know what? Barbers do not exist.'

'How can you say that?' asked the surprised barber. 'I am here, and I am a barber. And I just worked on you!'

'No!' the customer exclaimed. 'Barbers don't exist because if they did, there would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed beards, like that man outside.'

'Ah, but barbers DO exist! That's what happens when people do not come to me.'

'Exactly!' affirmed the customer. 'That's the point! God, too, DOES exist! That's what happens when people do not go to Him and don't look to Him for help. That's why there's so much pain and suffering in the world.'
 

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I really like this story. It's not a perfect picture of God, but it makes a good point.

 

I know God exists because I have experienced His work in my life.

 

If you have not experienced this, you may doubt His existence. And you know what? No matter how many times I tell you what great haircuts I have gotten He has done for me, no matter how many barbershops churches full of satisfied fulfilled customers parishioners you may pass each day, well, for some people none of that will ever be enough. They'll never believe that barbers God exists until they get a haircut realize His work in their own lives

The problem? You can't see how great the barber's God's work can be, until you walk into his shop acknowledge His existence.

Just because you have not gotten your hair cut realized God's work in your life yet, doesn't mean the barber He doesn't exist.
Maybe, just maybe, it simply means that you haven't met hHim yet.