THE WATCH REPAIRMAN

THE WATCH REPAIRMAN

Yesterday I went to the shop of my favorite watch repairman.  This time necessity compelled me to visit him, unlike my other visits which would simply require replacement of used up battery.

My watch, an old model Cartier, was slowing down, so it needed a check- up.

The watch repairman,  was a calm, choleric middle age gentleman, who moved slowly and seemed to take his time.  I asked him to look what’s wrong with my time piece. He gave me that silly grin and exclaimed, “Ah, an old original.”

He fastened his loop, popped the back case, picked the battery, and wired the tester.

“The battery’s good, the motor is sturdy,  so this old geezer needs complete overhaul” he said.

“How long does it take to clean up its ticker?” I asked.

“Are you waiting?” he asked.

“I have nothing better to do, might as well hang around,” I said.

“Forty five minutes, more or less,” he said.

“Ok, go ahead,” I said.

I sat on the stool over looking his cubicle, and curiously observed the display of his skills.

With solemn ceremony the watch repairman rubbed his hands together, and began the painstaking process of taking apart and unscrewing each and every little, minute particle of the watch,   laid them out on the working mat. Using special tools and tweezers he picked apart each and every part which could hardly be seen by the naked eye.

The skill of this guy is amazing, his fingers and hands steady, sure, and balanced as a surgeon’s, even better. 

Then he began the slow process of washing and cleaning each minute part of the watch in a small bowl of fluid.  

“Mr. Cartier, sure needs cleaning up,” he said, showing me the dirty residues in the fluid bowl,  where he soaked the small fine particles of what used to be my watch.

 I was scared in my thought if he could ever put them back again.

Then he started the slow and methodical work of exactly putting together every frail part, back in its precise place, and the watch to my fascination came alive, in a balance movement, exactly counting time again.

As I reflect on this experience, this is what my Lord Jesus Christ did for me. 

Like the watch repairman He cleaned me up too, and it took awhile to wash me clean,  and put me back together, that I may live a new life that follows His bidding.

I was delighted to have my old watch ticking,  like new. But more so when I found my Savior, I experienced becoming new.

This is exactly what St. Paul declared: “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old has gone, the new has come.”( 2 Corinthians 5:17).