Timing

Timing

Any comedian will say that it isn’t necessarily the words of a joke that makes one laugh as much as it is the timing in which it is delivered.  Timing plays a crucial role not just in jokes, but also in finding Gods direction in a situation.

Saturday was an interesting day.  The rubble crew doesn’t always work on that day but with the expansion project going on across the wall we lend a hand on that day to help out.  Francois and I spent the first half of the day moving material around, filling in holes and grading.  We did all we could do by noon so I broke for lunch while Francois went for a ride in the mountains.  Lunch was typical, ham sandwich and some juice in the screened in dining area.  Afterwards I went to the tent to cool off.  I discovered my water bottle was empty so went back to the kitchen to fill it up.  Robert was in the dining hall talking with someone so I popped in to say ‘hey’.  I ended up sitting down for a while and got engaged in the conversation and ended up visiting with Robert for a couple of hours over our water. 

I was amazed how many similarities Robert and I had.  We both had small businesses that we had started and operated for a number of years; similar equipment, same kinds of jobs.  We had similar church experiences, family relationships and experiences.  Our reasons and motivations for coming to SP were the same; wanted to share our talents and abilities in an arena where we felt we could contribute.  It was almost spooky that God had two men from different ends of the country be so alike and end up at the same time in Haiti.  We shared many of the same questions and concerns about coming; had responses from family and friends that were virtually identical; had the same doubts and apprehension but still came anyway.  It was nice to have a kindred spirit of sorts.

But the timing on Saturday happened after our time together.  Last week when Paul and I went snorkeling I had taken a bar of soap and a razor that Michelle had bought me in my towel to shower with after the ocean dive.  When I got to the shower I saw that the soap and razor had fallen out of my towel somewhere on the base.  I back tracked and found the soap but did not find the razor.  I was somewhat saddened because it was a real cool vibrating razor that gave a clean, comfortable shave.  So, after Robert and I went our ways, I went back into the kitchen to refill my water bottle and saw Pastor Ev getting something to drink.  I never see him apart from the morning devotions, so I shook his hand and greeted him.  I noticed he had a scruffy chin, he is always clean shaven,  so I flicked his fuzz and joked that he better shave or he’ll start to look like me with my scruffy beard.  He laughed back and I added, you know I wouldn’t look like this but I lost my razor last week.  His eyes suddenly got big, stepped back and pointed at me and said, It’s yours!  I immediately fired back, you found my razor!  He broke out laughing and said, I did.  I found it last week and have been asking everyone on base whose it was! 

Afterwards, it stunned me just how precise the timing was. I’ve been  wanting to chat with Robert for a couple of weeks now but there was never an opportunity.  He’s been here over a year now and has a fairly established routine.  That includes staying in the AC on weekends and only coming out for meals.  He should not have been in the dining hall an hour after lunchtime; he just was.  Our conversation included too many commonalities to be a coincidence.  We went our ways just in time to see Pastor Ev who is not at base on weekends nor ever in the kitchen.  And of course, he hadn’t shaved which triggered our banter in the first place.  All along a lost razor set the stage for a remarkable evidence of God’s control of our lives.

It’s nice to be finally be settled knowing that I’m in the right place at the right time for what purpose I know not.  But God does, and he’ll show me when He’s ready …. Because now my ear is tuned to hear when He does.