A New York City bond broker, trying to take advantage of the downturn in stock prices, is running a series of commercials on the radio. The owner of the firm tells a story about people who were enthusiastic about skyrocketing stock prices that refused to listen to any discussion about investing in conservative, slow moving bonds. They said buying bonds was about as exciting as “watching the grass grow”. “Watching the grass grow is better than watching the house burn down”, was the quick-witted reply the broker gave to his prospective clients.
In today’s world everyone is speed oriented. Snail mail, the traditional written word delivered by the postal service to one recipient at a time has dropped drastically in volume because so many people prefer e-mail, which is 24/7, multi-address capable. Production schedules for new products have been trimmed to the bone to meet the demands of impatient customers. Hospitals have reduced the allowable time for a stay to a day or less in most cases. Even our educational institutions offer accelerated programs to complete degree requirements in less time than what could have been imagined just a few years ago.
When G-d created the World, most things were created in a mature fully grown state. Then the reproductive process began with each creation producing an immature offspring that took years to develop. Trees grew from seeds, elephants from infants, giant eagles from small eggs etc. Each creation grew from inception to maturity. The growth was a slow, day-by-day progression imperceptible to the human eye. Even if one watched the grass one could not see it grow. People have to learn that there are things that need time in order to develop properly. There must be a process to ferment grape juices into wine rapidly but even so It will not produce wine as fine as the old fashioned technique. Some things just have to develop slowly.
Many people are robbing our youth of the time they need to grow into mature adults. Exposure to media, pushy parents and educators and social contacts push our children into the fast lane and prevent growth in the natural imperceptible way. G-d could have made it so that newborns were fully developed but He did not.
Today, when rushing at the speed of light in your business, in your personal growth or in your training of your offspring — stop. It only takes a minute to put on the brakes — ever so lightly — to give your charge the proper amount of time to develop. Sit back and watch the grass grow.
CONSIDER THIS FOR A MINUTE
Your patience will grow if you look at things from the other person’s point of view.
Raymond J Beyda
www.raymondbeyda.com
Text Copyright © 2004 Rabbi Raymond Beyda and Torah.org.