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One of the lessons that we were reminded of during our time back in the Bahamas was the reality of “island time”. Island time is a way of referring to the way the local culture perceives and prioritizes times and schedules. It’s not that they don’t have an awareness and application for being polite by showing up on time, or failing to keep appointments or schedules, thus is isn’t a loss in recognizing the importance of time. Rather it is an addition to their culture of having learned patience.
There were so many example on this trip of where our retrained American sensibilities, for having whatever we expected WHENEVER we expected it, came into direct conflict with reality. As I encountered these moments I was reminded of the process of enculturation that we went through decades ago in our first deployment as missionaries. We had to learn very early on that our ability to adjust expectations would be key to our success on the island.
Whether it was waiting for water taxis, the power going out for hours, having to wait for service and selection at stores, rationing our food money, cell service, or a hundred other examples… our soft sense of entitlement needed to be adjusted again. At one point I had to work to fix a generator engine b/c there was no electricity to run the saw I needed to fix a project. So I had to find the right tool for the generator. And once I found that tool, it was broke. So, now I was fixing the tool, to fix the engine, to fix the electricity, to fix the saw, to fix the project! And people wonder why “island time” requires patience.
We don’t know what the future holds for our service in Eleuthera. We don’t even know the impact our past has had. But one thing that we do know is that our future will require patience. A patience that rests on God’s timing and provision. Because sometimes it feels like you might take 2 steps backwards just to make 3 forwards.
I’m grateful for the tenderizing my sensibilities took on this trip, and the reminder of that bounty of patience which we once held in abundance when we lived on the island. It is a reminder that makes you grateful for what you have, and gives you the resources for contentment for what you don’t.