mills of the gods grind slowly

1. One's destiny is inevitable even if it takes considerable time to arrive. For example, I'm sure he'll be wealthy one day, though the mills of the gods grind slowly. This expression comes from ancient Greek, translated as “The mills of the gods grind slowly, but they grind small.” In English it appeared in George Herbert's Jacula Prudentum (1640) as “God's mill grinds slow but sure.”

Example Sentences

As the ancient saying goes, “The mills of the gods grind slowly, but they grind exceedingly fine.”

From Washington Post

Who said the mills of the gods grind slowly?

From Project Gutenberg

The mills of the Gods grind slowly .

From Time Magazine Archive

This was not immediately apparent, however, for, as they also often say in Hollywood, the mills of the gods grind slowly.

From Time Magazine Archive

Though the mills of the gods grind slowly, Yet they grind exceeding small.

From Project Gutenberg