Good Things Come To Those Who Wait

I grew up in a lower-middle class household in the BCC era (before credit cards).  As such I learned all about deferred gratification.  If a person or family just making ends meet could find a way to set aside a little savings each week or month then someday they would have enough saved to purchase that item they needed or wanted very much.  But the gratification that would come with the purchase would have to wait until all the money needed, the full purchase price, was saved up and was in hand.

That upbringing not only built into me a tolerance for deferred gratification, it also taught patience.  Even in the CC (credit card) era, or any time really, patience is a good trait to possess.  I don’t think I’ve heard people mention any other character trait they would rather have than more patience.  So, if the saying, “good things come to those who wait” is true, then those who can wait (can defer gratification or who have patience) are in luck!  They can simply bide their time and look forward to the day when good things are piling up on the doorstep at last!  If that saying is true, does that mean that those who aren’t able to defer gratification or don’t have patience are out of luck and are simply going to have bad things coming their way?

Truly, there are some very good and important things that come our way if we give them time to develop, grow, and mature.  Relationships are that way.  Some vocational pursuits might be that way.  Many financial investments would probably qualify too.  But “patient” and “passive” aren’t the same thing.  Good relationships come with time and nurture.  Good experiences in our careers multiply as we work diligently and consistently.  Financial investments that compound again and again come with research and analysis.  So perhaps we should say that good things come to those who wait and work, with patience, commitment, and intentionality.  Good things come to those who can chart a course and stay the course until they’ve fully run the course. 

In case you were wondering, that saying isn’t exactly in the Bible, but there is something similar in Lamentations 3:25, “The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul that seeks him.”  Actually, I think what that might mean is that God is being good to you even now, even if it doesn’t look and feel like it, it’s just that sometimes we have to wait a while to see it.  That’s faith (in God), trusting that good things are in the works, just sometimes on layaway.