Month 9:3, Week 1:2 (Shanee/Matzah), Year 5935:233 AM
Gregorian Calendar: Monday 28 November 2011
Stay Busy, Stay Alive
A Lesson from Segovia
"Yahweh will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought, and strengthen your bones; you shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail" (Isa.58:11, NKJV).
People sometimes wonder how I manage to retain a youthful complexion and have energy in spite of suffering from chronic fibromyalgia. My answer is twofold: first, I have Yah'shua (Jesus) who supplies my every need, as He promises; and second, I force myself to keep busy. Working hard comes naturally to me because, I suspect, my parents instilled this Protestant work ethic into me, in part, and because of my raising in a spartan boarding school where I received a classic education modelled on ancient Greek ideals. So I have always loved work and understood its benefits.
In reading an article the other day about the world famous Roman aqueduct in Spain that fed the citizens of Segovia, I was again reminded of the importance of keeping busy. This amazing structure, built in 109 AD, supplied the city of Segovia with cool mountainous water for over 1,800 years! And then suddenly, it started collapsing. Why? Had it suddenly worn out? Not at all. The aqueduct could probably have continued for another 2,000 years. Unfortunately, the misguided city council decided it would preserve this amazing structure as a museum piece instead of as functional piece of architecture and build a modern water supply system to replace it. But halting the water flow in the aqueduct spelled its doom. Exposed to the blazing Spanish sun after nearly two millennia of carrying, and being soaked in, water, the dry mortar and stone rapidly began to crumble and disintegrate, and within a century this amazing piece of Roman genius fell into ruin.
The scriptures warn us not to "eat the bread of idleness" (Prov.31:27, NKJV). Not only is work a noble and and honourable thing, but it is actually necessary for our physical, mental and emotional well-being! We were built to be functional, not as museum pieces. Though forced to retire 20 years early because of my illness, I determined that I would throw what energy and mobility I had left into building the Kingdom of Yahweh until I can no longer continue...which hopefully will be my last breath in mortality. Though unable to do what I did before, I find that I am able to do much else, and find great satisfaction in, and get much supernaturally-supplied energy from, it. I rarely travel now but my fingers must move many miles over a keyboard every week!
Whatever you do, keep busy, do it well, and do it for Yah'shua (Jesus)! Then you won't crumble away but remain sturdy for Him supplying living mayim (waters) for thirsty souls until He takes you home! He will supply your every need and sustain you in all you do.
Acknowledgements
[1] George Whitten, Don't Dry Up! in Worthy News Brief, 25 November 2011
Share
|
