Wednesday, April 14, 2010

A New Word: Swink

This interesting word is from Amy
Carmichael's "Thou Givest...They Gather"

"An old book that has come down to us from
the 14th century says, "Verily it is perilous for
a soul not to seek to make any further progress."
And it speaks of being in dead earnest to go on,
and uses a word that sticks in the mind like a
burr: 'Get to thee meekness and charity, and if
thou wilt, then travail and swink busily to
have them. You should enough to do in getting of
them.'

Swink means 'toil.' In one sense we do not have to
toil any more than the flowers of the field must toil.
But in another sense, there is a going on , with what
that implies of toil. 'I press towards the mark.'
(Phil 3:4) The mark is always on before, and to press
on means to swink. "

Thou Givest They Gather




1 comment:

Sara at Come Away With Me said...

You find the most interesting words! This is a new one to me.