Two vivid memories come to mind from time to time.
In the first, five of us were working on our budget tweaks. After multiple reviews, consultations, refinements, and additional analysis we had finally arrived at the final stage. The one remaining task was to refine how we spread the last minute additions were had been able to claw back in our review session. As we walked through the potential beneficiaries, we penciled in our idea answer. By the time we got through we had 13 numbers that had changed.
“What is our new total?”
Two of us enjoyed seeing who could be faster using the adding machine. As our fingers flew, the one we often thought of as slow in the group responded, one million two hundred thousand four hundred and forty-nine.
As the sounds of his voice reached our ears, we had entered three, maybe four numbers.
“What?! You are kidding, right?”
“No. That is the total.”
“How do you know that?”
“I added the numbers up, twice.”
In disbelief we went back to our calculators, fingers flying again. In near synchronization we hit the total buttons on our calculators and found ourselves looking at each in disbelief; 1,200,449.
As I watched a British game show with a young teenager, the math challenge was to formulate an equation of multiplication, addition and subtraction of 5 numbers to get to the target answer. As the clock started, I, along with the contestants on the show struggled and floundered out way through trying to get close. Before anyone on the show or myself had a close answer, I heard a voice said, “that’s easy.”
My quizzical look was answered with a calm voice rattling off a complex formula using the five numbers. The solution was a lot closer than the experts or I could get to.
I start my day considering one writer’s remarks, “You, God, are High God of the cosmos, far, far higher than any of the gods.” (Psalm 97.9) As bright as I think I might be, there are lights that are far brighter.
