New Wine

I was singing this song today as I was getting ready for the day. And the Holy Spirit reminded me of months ago when I first started singing this song. 

“In the crushing, in the pressing 

You are making new wine.” 

And then He reminded me that the season we’re in is an answer to that prayer. There has been crushing. There has been pressing. On every side. I’m not sure if it’s over yet, truthfully. But the Holy Spirit reminded me that this was what we asked for. When I sang the words “make me a vessel, make me an offering, make me whatever you want me to be”, there was already a plan in place to allow that to happen. 

This has been a difficult year for Sam and I. Not many know the depths of the darkness we’ve been navigating. And it’s not time to share the details of it, even now. We’ve seen a lot of things die in this season. Dreams, hopes, and plans. What we’ve spent 10 years building was reset back to the beginning. It has been painful. It has been hard. There have been a lot of dark days. 
The good news is that I've never been so proud of my husband as I am now. He's an amazing man. Sorry, but it just needs to be said. He's digging deep and all the gold that's in him is shining through. It's incredible. But that's a side note for another time.

There's no need for a pity party. This is a part of life. A part of life we certainly couldn't have predicted, and certainly wouldn't have chosen for ourselves. And there is so much to be thankful for, even in the midst of this crazy time. We have the most WONDERFUL baby we could have ever hoped for. He has truly been our Anchor in this season. 

But the sweet Holy Spirit reminder today sparked thankfulness in my heart. He is using this season, this pain, this difficulty to make us who we’re supposed to be. He is answering our prayers. 

Sometimes I think we sing songs, and pray prayers asking God to make us who he wants us to be and we think we’ll read a nice scripture and that will do the trick. That we'll learn without having to let anything go or giving anything up. How can we truly become who he wants us to be without a breaking? The breaking is what pulls us in closer. The crushing opens the door for a new place. We’re not who we were before. It's what ruins our pride. We can't know best anymore and we're glad for it. 

Be careful about the songs you sing, and the words you pray. Will you be ready when He answers your prayer to be made like Him? When you sing the words “I give you everything”, do you really mean it? Do you mean “I surrender all?” Because the moment will come when it’s all on the altar. And you’ll be left wondering how you got there. You’ll be left wondering how everything could be taken from you. But isn’t that what you asked? 
Don't miss the season you prayed for because it doesn't look like you planned. 

Be encouraged. He’s there in the crushing. In the breaking. In every dark day. In every moment that feels like there’s no hope, He’s there. When you wonder where He is, He's there. And someday, when you’ve crossed the threshold into the next season, you’ll be closer to who He made you to be. The glory to glory we’re living in isn’t always spotlights and sunshine. Sometimes it’s days and days of darkness. But if we’ll only press closer, He’s there. Our comforter. Our faithful friend. Always working everything for our good. No matter how bad it is. Even what was meant for evil. He did it for Joseph and He can do it again.

All I know is that He is GOOD. In every season. Every mountain and valley, He is FAITHFUL and He is GOOD. Even more than we can know. 

2 Corinthians 4:8-9 

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.

Matthew 21:44

Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.