Can I ask you just one question?

My granddaughter's godmother decided to take all the girls on a manicure/pedicure outing this evening.  After a week of camping, I decided to tag along and get my hands and feet pampered.    I figured since I was doing a wedding on Wednesday and leaving for Chicago on Friday, that this was a good time to go and have a mani/pedi time with girls.   

You know when you are having your nails done, the manicurist tries to have a conversation with you, Julie asked me what my plans were for this weekend.  I told her that I was going to Chicago on July 4 for work.   The woman next to me heard me and asked, "What kind of job do you do that would make you fly out on July 4?"   I always cringe when folks ask what I do?   I get so many unique responses or I find out how they feel about women pastors.

So I told her I was a pastor of a local Presbyterian Church.   She offerend that she too was a member of a Presbyterian Church.   Then she asked, "Can I ask you just one question?"  So another cringe, I preapred myself to hear the question about the ordination of gay and lesbian persons and ready to tell her what I believed.  She asked, "Do you believe in ghosts?"

Ghosts?  I told her that I was raised in a culture that believed in spirits of persons who may come and visit once in  awhile and our job was to welcome them and to respect and honor them.    I said, for me God is spirit.  She agreed and shared more about her son active in a youth group at church and then said, the reason why I asked you is that I have seen a ghost and  just wanted to know what you thought.   I told her that believing in Ghosts doesn't define her but her faith does define her.   She thanked me for not treating her like a crazy person and turned her attention to the painting of her nails.  Then she thought for a moment and asked, "Do you want to see the picture of the ghost?"   I declined and said that I may not be as gifted as her to see the ghost!

Then I smiled and said, remember we believe in God, the creator, Jesus the son, and the Spirit, sometimes referred to as the Holy Ghost.....then I told her that Bruce, my son, was elected Moderator of the PCUSA then it was her turn to look at me like I was crazy!!