The Worth of Wait

The gobernador insisted on pushing his conquest toward the south, but the more territory he occupied, the less he could control...His army was divided into small parties that might go for months without communicating among themselves."

Isabel Allende (Ines of my Soul 286)

When thinking of the logic and the factors that play into the conquering techniques of Pedro Valdivia, and reading of the trial and error in these tactics, so much more can be sifted out and learned than how to try and conquer the native tribes of the Chilean empire.

After reading that line it immediately came to me that Pedro was not going to have success in this tactic. We all know it. The phrases “spreading yourself thin” or “build a strong foundation” first came to my mind. While throwing this thought around more I realized the significant importance of why one must secure his foundation strong before branching out to cover more areas.

From my last post about the pioneers, we know that they first built a strong central town before they sent out others to establish another town. Even to Washington waiting in the winter for the perfect time to cross the Delaware River and fight the Hessians. Why did they wait? Or in modern day living we cannot go run a marathon without taking the time to train or we will get hurt and fail most likely. Why do we wait?

From the scriptures we know that through “small and simple things are great things are brought to pass.” (Alma 37:6) Why would this be important to Valdivia or any person for that matter? Why aren’t people satisfied with what they have and often searching for more? When do we know we are strong enough to move on or if we need more time mending and building?

There is a key to this formula, of course more than one for whatever life is making you build or strengthen at any given moment. First, that understanding your strengths and weaknesses is actually a strength and second, to differentiate the difference between needs and wants.

Imagine if Pedro would have understood this? Do we understand this? That in truth we can be a greater strength and do more good if we can control ourselves and what we have, and then will come the prosperous life.