When
I appeared last Monday in the chamber of the sala of brilliant (RTC)
Judge Dax Gonzaga Xenos of Panabo City, Philippines, he posed to me
the question, “Sir, are you not considering to retire?” I
politely retorted, I will just “slow down”, and related that all
retirees I know who abruptly retired and stopped their usual daily
routine die earlier. I specifically gave the example of my assistant
stenographer-typist in the Leopoldo M. Abellera Law Office (the
classmate of President Ferdinand Marcos) in the late 50’s who
became also a lawyer, and who later became a National Labor Relations
Commissioner (NLRC) assigned at Cagayan de Oro Mindanao Station, who
retired at age 65, and totally stopped doing anything but to enjoy
his retirement pay and retired life, but died within the year. The
Judge has no grey hair, so he addresses me Sir. This is not the
first time that he talked to me because I have a number of cases
before him, and during pre-trial conferences of the cases, we would
see and talk to each other. I feel awkward and somewhat “ashamed”
every time I hear him address me “Sir”. I feel I don’t deserve
it because of his stature and position.
In
the story of creation, God established a pattern of work and rest,
which is a model for all of human beings. For six days God worked to
complete His creation of all that is in the world and bring order to
our world. But on the seventh day, after He had finished all His
creative activity, He rested. God demonstrated that rest is
appropriate, needed, right and necessary. If our immortal God
rested after his work,
how much more for us – mortals – and just one among His
creations? But man is God’s very special and highest and best
creation, after his own image.
One who could fellowship with Him and worship Him.
When
I became a husband to my wife, I wished that our first child should
be a boy and will look like me (or
one after my own image). God
partially granted my heart’s desire that our first child named
Susan (after Susan Roces, then the favorite actress in Philippine
cinema) according to many is my “look
alike”. She became a lawyer
like me, but she is more successful in passing the bar examination in
1991 because she landed number nine out of 3,194 examinees that took
the exam that year, or only 17.8% passed.
His
only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, showed us the importance of rest
when He sat wearily beside a well after a long walk (John 4:6) and
when He slept in the boat with His disciples (Mark 4:38). He also
rested when He and His disciples got away from the crowds (Mark
6:31-32).
If
the Lord Jesus, the Son of God, rested from His earthly ministry, we,
His creation (John 1:3) need also to rest from our work as well.
Some, if not many, however, rest too long and too often, and these
become poor and destitute, for it is written, “The hand of the
diligent maketh rich, but the
slothful [or “tamad” in Filipino language] become poor”
(Prov. 10:4). In another rendition, “He becometh poor that dealeth
with slack hand:
but the hand of the diligent maketh rich” (KJV). The Wise King
Solomon further said, “The soul of the sluggard
desireth and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be
made fat” [or shall prosper] (Prov. 13:4 KJV). And he went on to
say, “Seest thou a man diligent (or hardworking) in his business?
he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean (or
obscure) men” (Prov. 22:29 KJV).
I
remember when I was President of the Davao City Chamber of Commerce
in 2005 – 2007, ten of our selected officers and members (including
myself) conferred and dined with former President Gloria Macapagal
Arroyo at the conference Hall of Marco Polo in Davao City. To
mention some of the significant personalities, John Y. Gaisano, of
the Gaisano City Mall of Davao, Atty. Lorenzo of the banana
industry, Father Samson, then the President of the Ateneo de Davao
University.
You
want to prosper beyond measure? Be diligent or hardworking in your
business, but be sure take a rest so you will enjoy at least a three
score and ten life span. Our times of rest refresh us for times of
service.
If
our body, soul, and spirit are to function at their best, time of
rest is needed to renew our strength. Even machines have to rest,
otherwise it will wear out easily and very soon. Our life existence
and activities is not just for a 100-meter dash, it is a three score
and ten (Psalm 90:10 [70 years]) marathon or even more (fourscore) if
we live according to God’s prescribed rules on activities, food,
righteous living, and enough rest. You will not be out of “market”
because remember at seventy or beyond, if you were diligent in your
business like Senator Juan Ponce Enrile and retired Supreme Court
Justice Serafin Cuevas, you would have enough and vast experience in
life. “Experience is the best teacher”.
The
great leader Moses was commissioned by God at eighty years old to
liberate the Israelites from Egyptian bondage. He effectively worked
for another forty years. Abraham the great patriarch of the
Israelites was commissioned by God at age seventy-five to lead his
chosen people. Caleb at age eighty-five said that he was as strong
as when he was forty-five years old. These leaders never retired:
they merely slowed down lived prosperously up to the end of their
lives.
FGBMFI Davao City Chapter Bulletin, February 23, 2013
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