Those Who Bide Their Time

There is a suggestion that all good things come to those who wait.

I can see where that sentiment comes from. I recall the patient endurance my Dad had with his allotment. Hours, days, weeks and months spent cultivating that patch of land. Understanding the soil, noting the changing seasons, deducing the best times to plant and to nurture. I didn’t have the time, but he did. He was happy to spend that time constructively even as it didn’t make any sense to me. While he did things that did not appear to make any impact at that time, his endurance and watchful eye proved time and time again to bring out the goods. It was not about being perfect, yet even the setbacks were very informative for him. How he applied everything was remarkable because it’s not as though he made copious notes on his excursions on the plot of land. He retained, he applied, he observed, he attended and he reaped. All because he was willing to bide his time.

To a large degree as well it informs why he preferred to walk than get to places in a hurry because to get to his destination in a timely fashion could be done very well whilst also using the journey there to gather his thoughts, prepare himself and be completely at ease with himself when he reached where he was going. It was like each step he took on the stroll to the destination gave him a note to build the symphony in his head of how he would engage with whatever it was he was scheduled to do.

Unsurprisingly, I have a lot of admiration for those who bide their time. Those who are not in a rush to latch onto anything that appears appealing. Those who might not appear to be swift, but also are timely in making the moves they need to, because they have prepared themselves. It’s especially admirable to watch them silently endure the scorn of others who cannot believe they have not done this or done that because they would have. They don’t utter a word as people criticise them for not being fast or clinical enough. Others mock and laugh or simply dismiss them as not being of any worth. Yet in the fullness of time those who bide their time get their results leaving the doubters dumbstruck. Not only that but they are also in the best position in their mind to make the most of that which has benefited them.

It’s those things that help me when I get a little anxious at things not working out immediately or appearing to be ‘delayed’. Best not to rush these things, I keep learning. Best just to bide my time.

(Photo by Andrik Langfield on Unsplash)

For His Name’s Sake

Shalom

C. L. J. Dryden