God's Irony

Have you heard anyone say “We plan and God laughs?”  I know some people who don’t like the expression because they don’t like the idea of God laughing at us.  I think it’s safe to say that God does not laugh AT us, not in the sometimes cruel way people laugh at each other.  But I think he laughs WITH us when our plans go awry.  God isn’t amused by our true failures or anything that makes us cry.  I can imagine him laughing when we overestimate our abilities or surprise ourselves with what we don’t know.  It’s easier to laugh at ourselves when we picture God laughing beside us.

Recently, my son was building a model of the Leaning Tower of Pisa for a high school history class.  Part of the assignment involved a detailed plan and timeline.  He had six benchmarks, the final step being to place a small wedge under the tower to create the lean.  At step two, he realized that he’d already built a leaning tower completely by accident and much like the original.  I don’t know if this qualifies as life imitating art or art imitating life.  My son laughed.  And I bet God laughed with him because he’d known right from the moment the final step was written that it wouldn’t be necessary.  

God has the advantage of situational and dramatic irony in everything we do.  When I made a plan for an ambitious sewing project, I'm sure he was laughing.  He already knew how many seams I’d have to rip out, and he could already see the mystified expression on my face when I tried to understand how to fit some of the pieces together.  He also knew I’d be happy enough with the outcome to laugh along with him.  It’s fun to reflect on God’s perspective when I finally figure out what he always sees coming.