...bees

Beekeepers know that a bee's age is determined by the condition of its wings.

Because bees constantly work, their wings get a lot of wear and tear. Young bees have wide, well-formed wings, whereas older bees have narrow, torn, and tattered wings.

The bee does not die of old age. It dies when its wings are completely worn out and it can no longer work or fly. Near the point of death, the bee points itself away from the beehive and begins to fly, never to return again. The bee literally wears itself out working!

There is a spiritual lesson here for us. 

As Christians, we need to be diligent servants, doing the work of the Lord. 

When Jesus evaluated the spiritual condition of the seven churches of Asia - Revelation 2-3, their degree of acceptance was directly proportional to the kind and amount of work they were doing. -author unknown

"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord" 1 Corinthians 15:58