In my line of work, projects come and projects go. I’m blessed that some make it my way, and in hindsight, I’m blessed that others did not.
A professor once told me, “If you are good at your job, you will land about 10% of what you bid. And for you math majors out there, that means you have a 90% failure rate.” A tough pill for a wide-eyed college student to swallow, but it has proved to be true.
One such project came along, but I spent more time being a guess-itmator than estimator. After months of negotiation – add this, subtract that, and an endless pile of what-ifs, we got the nod.
Woo-hoo. Celebrate.
Everywhere but on my desk.
My notes were a disaster.
I expect I had some control of the chaos at the time, but I’ve slept a night or two since then. I still needed to force it all into a box and tie a pretty bow on top.
Retracing the steps I could decipher, I added and subtracted, striking through each number as I went, leaving breadcrumbs as it were. If it didn’t match up, I had a clean back up and could start again.
Numbers had been highlighted, check marks had been rechecked, and it was time for the all-important… recalculation.
I stopped.
Closed my eyes.
Said a prayer.
And pressed the button.
Opening only one eye, as if that would make a difference, the total had come within three hundred dollars on a multi million-dollar contract. I pointed to the heavens like an athlete in the end zone and said,
“You, Lord, are perfection.”
Now I claim be a math-elite at times, but I couldn’t have come that close without the One Who numbers my days and counts the very hairs on my head (though lately, that has been an easier task).
All the questions, all the doubts, and the piles of paper I drudged through, were but puzzle pieces in the Hands of the Almighty, perfectly formed to fit when and where He needed them.
Perfection in chaos.
Order in disorder.
We, as imperfect beings, are very much the same, lost in a crowd, our voices fading into the noise, until we are put into the place God needs us to be.
Father, please grant me strength to be ready and the patience to wait until You move me.
Amen…
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