Quote for Thought: “Good Things Take Time…”

Good things take time, but great things happen all at once.

— Rat Race

 

The above movie is one of the most disturbing, confusing and stupid movies I have ever seen. Yes, I admit it is very hard to please me cinematically. I have a very low threshold for shtus, so as you can imagine, I don’t watch many movies or television programs. You see, I’m one of those people who  likes to take away a good life lesson from whatever I do. And if you are wondering, yes, I do have a sense of humor. In fact, I think I have a very keen sense of what is humorous, but if I am going to plop myself in front of a screen, I want to feel that I am gaining something while melting my brain. Maybe, by watching something with a good message, I will cancel the brain-numbing effects of staring into a hundred watt Light Bright. I have no scientific backing for this theory, but I like to believe there is some truth to it. It makes me feel a little better.

So when I watched Rat Race a few years ago, I was not pleased by what I saw. It’s basically over an hour of the stupidest pranks some lackadaisical Hollywood big shots thought would get a good reaction out of people. However, viewing this sorry excuse of a comedy was not for naught, because in it, I found one of my favorite quotes of all time:

Good things take time, but great things happen all at once.

There is nothing particularly eloquent or original about this quote, but once I heard it in the movie, it got me thinking…how true is it? Of course good things take time. Good things take work, effort and patience…but do great things really happen quickly/all at once/k’heref ayin? The real question isn’t do they happen, but rather, will it happen to me?

I’ve heard a hundred shidduch stories with the same ending. Person dated. And dated. And dated. They wondered and hesitated and “didn’t know,” but kept doing their hishtadlus. They put in much effort, thought, emotion and prayer. But when they met the right person, when they found and recognized their RD, it all came to together. Even if the courtship wasn’t smooth, they knew. They knew this wasn’t just something good…this was something great.

I have seen it in my own life; not in shidduchim (yet), but in other situations. I have a goal. I want something good; a degree, a job, a project, a full grown tomato plant and  so I do what I must in order to attain what I want. It takes work, concentration and dedication even when I don’t want to work, concentrate or dedicate my time, effort and money. But when I do my part; when I put in my whole heart, my whole soul and everything I’ve got, when I say, “G-d I have done everything I can, the rest is up to You,” miracles happen. Miracles can happen in the blink of an eye. After all the time, all the work  and all the effort to earn the Good, G-d takes it a step further and turns the Good to Great. Good things do take time…but when you hold on to your faith, when you believe in miracles, Great things happen.  And when they happen, they happen all at once.

My bracha to you is that you are able to recognize the good and great things in your life, presently and  b’ezrat Hashem in the future as well!

Good Shabbos!