The once pure and happy heart was no longer pure and happy but as time aged, worries clogged my arteries and shrewdness intoxicated my heart. My heart was poisoned by worldliness. In the day I was busy with my chaotic routines, in the night my mind was busy plotting tomorrow. Life got weary and heavy laden. The peace, known as shalom, I once had no longer with me.
This wholesome peace was with me but slowly faded away as I stepped into the working world. I began to worry about my future, what would I become. Then when I decided to be a businessman and built my businesses, I started to worry about my enterprising expansion, my heart was burdened managing the business. Next came along my love life and I enthralled the other half of my exhausted heart upkeeping the relationship.
Years after years, as life got matured and bond with the world, our childhood friendship and kinship no longer pure. We associated with one another because of our hidden agenda. Friends betrayed friends to strengthen our status quo. We cashed out kinship by borrowing from them. We manipulated righteousness to conceal our deceitfulness and played politics to climb corporate ladder.
Nowadays when we meet new friends, we tactfully asked questions to check out their family backgrounds and financial worth. We associated to find out their social status and determined if socializing with them worth our time and dining with them worth our investment. Now friendship was forged because of business opportunities. Dinner treat was offered for financial benefits. Life was so fake. We schemed our life and compromised our integrity. We no longer made friends like kids looking for fun and companionship.
More than ten years had passed. I left all behind and came to china to rest my whole, heart, mind, soul and strength. Almost a year of resting. During the year, I rested by isolating my soul from the world. I forged new friends to rebuild my circle of friends. I gave up my present lifestyle for the shalom I used to have when I was young and innocent.
What is shalom?
Shalom is peace. Peace with God. Peace with man. Peace with nature. Peace with self. Shalom is the peace of our whole being living in harmony with everything. With this peace, then we have the mental calmness, emotional stability, that give us the sound will to do what we have set out to accomplish.
Shalom is so important to me because when I have this peace, my will is like a house build on a strong foundation. When an earthquake comes I know I can stand firm and not shaken to do what I set out to do.
This peace I once lost, I found it again.
Shalom be with you!