Salve, amici! Once again it is time for me to tell you a story of my past. Today I would like to tell you about my difficult times in business, beginnand around A.D. 50, when I was thirty years old.
Just as business had been picking up, a new source of competition arose. There are many kinds of pottery; I personally produced course wares, but at that time, terra sigillata was becoming popular in my region of Rome. This factory-made, decorative red pottery was based off of repeated molds and was therefore cheap to make and sell. In contrast, my nice, hand-fashioned pottery took much time to make and was therefore more expensive than the terra sigillata, though it was still reasonably priced. At first, my customers were loyal and I had no difficulty selling my pottery, but over time, business slowed, and I found myself barely able to pay the rent, let alone provide my own food. I was forced to work several hours more on many days, and was completely dependant on the minute amount of food provided by the grain dole.
I stayed constant in my faith the whole time, and God was faithful. Unlike many of my fellow plebeians, I did not go out of business due to this competition. Though it was difficult, I was able to pay the rent. I lived like this for many years, and would have still been living in that fashion at this moment if I hadn't been arrested. However, the story of my arrest is for tomorrow. Vale!
Wow, I admire your strength and faith. I know it's tough when life seems to be falling apart, and you wish that things were the same as they were before. In a blink of an eye things can go from being just fine to sad and weary. Since this is a story of your past my advise and hopeful wishes may not be worth much but I hope you remember that God holds you in his hands and he will never let you go. God never promised us that we wouldn't ever fall, but ehe did promise that he would always be there to pick us up again. I look foward to hearing the rest of your story later.
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