Does anyone share the same feeling of satisfaction/fulfillment/pleasure/coziness after you've scrubbed, cleaned, washed, swept, mopped, vacuumed, and folded and put away the laundry... *fresh* clean sheets on the bed... everything *sparling and shining*... and you sit down to *REST* and *ENJOY* your labors??
That's just how *I* feel *RIGHT NOW* .... oooo, and it feels so good!! *
Work... there are so many different ideas about "work". Usually "bad" ideas :( I think it starts with school-aged children who begin to hate school-"work" and home-"chores"... and keeps developing into adulthood, where a LOT of people must "work" at JOBS-- for someone else-- and NEVER have the opportunity to benefit from their own "work". The corporations benefit from their labor... and the government takes almost half of the monetary trade for their labor. It's a "lose-lose" situation... how very very sad :( What a trap this nation/culture has fallen in to! :( And most of my life I've heard that work was a curse, from the garden of Eden...
But "work" is *GOOD*. I've been thinking about how, in it's original intent, it DOES produce satisfaction/fulfillment/pleasure...and maybe coziness ;) And it produces energy, endurance, tenacity, and a "caring" for the things you've worked on (or worked for). It builds appreciation, creativity, productiveness, and "purpose". It wards off discontentment, laziness, depression, and apathy. IT IS *GOOD* :D But when it is NOT in it's original intent, and it is reduced to just 'working a job' that has no meaning to you-- you are ROBBED of all that YHWH has *given* you in the (overlooked) *GIFT* of WORK!
If you notice, Adam had "work" (of some sort) in the garden BEFORE his disobedient act... he was placed there to "keep" it; to "guard it" and "take good care" of it... what did that involve? I don't know, but he had "purpose" and "responsibility" to keep him occupied and busy. I don't think he just floated around all day every day "just doing nothing" or entertaining himself. He "worked"-- to some degree or another. And, I believe, we will continue to work in the "eternal day" with YHWH. It is NOT a curse... it was created by YHWH-- and it is *GOOD* (functional ;) )
Now... I don't think it was ever meant for men to go off to work, leaving their families behind... and I especially don't believe it was ever intended for the women to follow suit, and leave their children for others to raise... but that is the sad shame of a mess we've gotten ourselves in to-- and can't seem to find a way out :( TRAPPED :( THAT is why "work" is no longer producing in us what it was created to... and THAT is why it has BECOME a "curse". The cute little children's song has been changed to " I OWE, I OWE, it's off to work I go!" We no longer have the time to invest in our homes, property, and families like we desire, or like we should... we're always going off to work-- working our lives away for someone else, producing things of insignificance in our personal lives :( We are robbed of the bonding and connection that working brings... when you work along side your children, teaching them and training them, it binds you together <3 You share in so much more than just the work. You share in each other's daily lives... and in each other's hearts. You share advice and stories and skills for living (to name *only* a FEW). All of that is TAKEN AWAY in our culture! And working in your home, on your property, and with your neighbors, and in your community BONDS you to your home, property, neighbors, and community... where you take good care of it/them; guarding it/them and "keeping" it/them :) You would have no desire to just let it go to waste and ruin, to vandalize it and destroy it. You wouldn't neglect it-- OR YOUR NEIGHBORS. *EVERYTHING* would probably be *SO DIFFERENT* if we could *WORK* the way we were intended to work... and not just go off to jobs.
It's a lot to think about! And, hopefully, you will be inspired to look at the hours you squeeze in your busy schedules to do your *real* work with a better outlook and attitude-- allowing it to bring you the *JOY* and benefit it was intended to :) And if you are one of the very few in this culture that is either financially able to "work/stay at home", or SACRIFICING to be able to "work/stay at home"... then take a few minutes to realize the great *treasure* you really have! :D
P.S.... This is the second post I wrote later that day....
SO.... just about "how long" does *YOUR* "state of bliss" (from my previous post) last??? By NOW... there has been mustard dropped on my mopped floor, grease splattered on my *clean* stove, hamper full of *more* dirty clothes,.... hum, hum, hum... shall I go on? Ha!Ha! Oh well... the *bliss* of a house "lived in", "loved in", and *FULL* ;D How much more can one ask for!
*Blessings*
Yea... it's all *still * good! :D