Ministry at a Salon
“Why does God allow hard things to happen in our lives?”
The young customer’s eyes teared up as Janice snipped at her hair.
Janice found work as a hairstylist in Oman after moving from South Africa, and she said it’s common for her clients to confide in her while they’re sitting in her chair. She said many customers have shared their stories: “My relative has cancer.” “My husband is cheating on me.” “I was never able to have kids.”
“God is able to work through stylists at a beauty salon, but not all beauticians realize the potential for ministry,” said Melissa Bos, a Resonate Global Mission missionary who leads trauma healing sessions in Oman.
Janice, however, did realize that God was calling her to ministry through her work as a hairstylist. When she learned about the trauma healing sessions Melissa was leading, Janice decided to join so that she could heal from her own pain and trauma. She also saw how helpful it would be for her clients at the salon.
Janice said that as she talks with clients, she hears the “unedited version of people’s stories.” People share about relationship struggles. Family dramas. Health concerns. Spiritual questions, doubts, and crises.
As she participated in the training, Janice was able not only to take steps to heal from her own pain, but also to learn important steps to take when talking with people who have experienced trauma.
“I have always been quick to answer, but I am learning to listen,” said Janice. “I learned that it’s okay to not have anything to say in response to someone’s story. . . . I always thought good listening means that I have good advice to give, but it’s the other way. People feel validated when I just listen.”
So when the girl sitting in Janice’s chair at the salon teared up during her appointment, Janice knew how to respond. She listened. She let the girl talk. She prayed. Following the Holy Spirit’s leading, Janice shared: “Go back to the Manufacturer. He made you. He knows what you need.”
Healing from trauma is a long process, but Janice was able to provide support and encouragement for this girl simply by listening. It opened the door for this client to bring her pain to God.
Today Janice continues this work with many clients who open up about difficult circumstances in their lives. She found the trauma healing training so valuable that she asked Melissa to teach her how to facilitate the training herself. She’s been working hard to open the door for more people to heal from trauma.
“Janice has now co-led two healing groups with me. . . . I have seen Janice lean into the simple yet profound act of creating space for others to self-discover their way to Christ as healer,” said Melissa.
“Janice knows how to ask good questions, to prompt participation, and to keep quiet so that the participants can share their own learnings and ideas. It has been such a privilege to work with her.”
