All good things comes to those who waits.
That’s what the saying states. It seems like something said by someone who clearly was not in a hurry. It seems like it was something said by someone who didn’t appreciate the importance of immediacy. It seems like it was something said by someone who does not acknowledge that change that’s needed now.
Or it could be something said by someone who knows what they’re talking about.
John got married and had three beautiful children. One daughter and two sons. The elder of the sons, Alex, was supposed to be academically gifted. John hoped Alex would just turn out to be a respectable and productive contributor to society. Yet his school days did not give the impression that would happen. Alex took his academic gift for granted and played the fool at school. Despite John’s insistent urging to be diligent, Alex wasted his time at school and barely scraped enough grades to go to college.
John hoped that this setback would wake his son up to responsibilities. He hoped his Alex would see that he had ample faith in him. He hoped Alex would see the importance at this stage and grow up. John’s wife was anxious for her son and concerned that he would not realise his potential. This was made worse by the way that his siblings did excel in education and beyond. They were sensible types, but Alex appeared not to get the hint.
At college, Alex fell into a group of students who thought that their time could be best spent exploring the wonders of alcohol and drugs. He partook in this kind of life and neglected his studies to the extent that he was not allowed to complete his studies. Out of college, his student friends soon abandoned him as he didn’t have anything to offer them in terms of money and connections. They left him, but the habits he developed did not leave him. Before long he had debased himself to doing anything to get any penny to get his high.
His Mum despaired at the promise wasted. His siblings grew tired of bailing him out whenever he was ‘in a jam’. What friends he had left did not feel they could reach him. Some patently told the parents that he looked like a lost cause.
John, however, did not accept that report for his son. He did not reject his son, though he refused to bankroll his addictions. He treasured the all too brief moments when he could get through to his son and they could have a decent conversation without the son itching to get drunk or high. He used those brief moments not to preach at his son or pester him about what might happen to him. He invested the time to pick up on his son’t love of football. Hours spent using that as a vehicle to connect with his son and encourage him to see what he could do with that interest.
This, however, did not stop Alex, however, from indulging in his habits. He was arrested and imprisoned for his involvement in nefarious dealings linked to his desire to feed his addictions. During the court case, no one showed up for the hearings into the matter, except for his father. Every day throughout the trial, John took his place and listened carefully to what was being addressed and showing no sign of disappointment or sadness. At the sentencing his face showed a great deal of compassion for his son.
John committed to communicating with Alex as often as possible through visits and letters. His son at first didn’t know how to respond to these. Over the course of his stay in prison, though, Alex saw the light that his Dad showed him. He resolved to get properly detoxed and rehabilitated. He committed himself to studying again.
Alex thought that the criminal record would be a barrier to him gaining meaningful employment. He didn’t know who would give him a chance. It was then that his Dad suggested that he do something productive with his experience and use it to advise, support and guide young people – both those at risk of falling into similar traps as him and those who had already fallen through the gaps. His Dad also suggested that the football connection could be a window into connecting with young men. To reinforce his faith in his son, John invested a considerable amount into setting up the project.
There were setbacks initially. Money was wasted on people who didn’t know what they were doing … other than taking them for a ride. Yet whenever Alex wanted to give up, his father was at hand to support him. So it was that the son was able to make a success of this project and reach the stage where his reputation brought him to the attention of youth groups, community groups and rehabilitation establishments around the country.
When he was asked to speak at a gala in London, Alex paid tribute to his father and offered him a chance to say something as well. John announced that the success that they saw was not overnight. It took time. It took prayer. It took diligence. It took faith. Above all, it took patience. Patience motivated by the knowledge that …
All good things come to those who wait.
((Photo by Everton Vila on Unsplash))
For His Name’s Sake
Shalom
C. L. J. Dryden
Life With CD 