Are you in a hurry? These days everyone is in a hurry to get somewhere. To get on the next plane, the next stop, the next destination. What if I told you it’s okay to slow down?
Hey Besties! I’m back with another blog. Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and Happy Holidays. Guys, I apologize for the long wait for the new blog. I was somewhere in the winepress LOL. Which brings me to my topic for today. The process in the wine process. Cheesy I know but let’s roll with it. Grab your snacks, grab your juice, grab your water and spend just about three minutes with me.
Let’s talk about the winepress. The purpose of the winepress is to extract juice from grapes to get to the end result of wine. The process entails the grapes being placed into the press to get the value out of it. When the grapes go into the press they’re pushed against the sides of the device. The experience of the grapes in the wine press brings an end result of wine which is consumed across every country on the globe. It goes through a thorough process of ageing to get to the best desired result. It can take as long as twenty years. I say this to remind us to stay the course. Living in a world that has become so technologically advanced, most things are at the touch of a button. It gives us this false security of immediate gratification for everything. The reality is that most of us are aware that things take time but its easier these days to get thrown into the mindset of wanting to see everything happen right here, right now and right in this moment. So, if you’re in a hurry I’m here to remind you about the value in waiting and staying the course. It’s not easy in the winepress, sometimes the pressure of life may cause us to want to leave places and seasons when we do not see the desired immediate results that may require just a little bit more patience, endurance and perseverance.
2 Corinthians 4:8,9,16-18; 8We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 16Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. Second Corinthians reminds us best that though we may be pressed in the process there’s hope in not losing heart in the process. Though we may see the desired earthly result in our wait, there’s a call for endurance far beyond what we can see. While we prepare our hearts to stay the course in the physical, we prepare our hearts and minds for the return of christ .
What do you need to stay the course on today? It may be challenge with your walk with Jesus Christ, a diet for health reasons, a career choice or even the daily mundane routine. I’m encouraging you to remain steadfast. While some things may bring immediate gratification, some others take time. Waiting, difficulty or struggle in a journey is often not always an indication to run from the challenge. One of my favorite movies to rerun is “Home,” the Boov characters of the film always ran away from adversity (Gorg). They always found a new home. One day, a brave Boov decided to stay the course and standup against Gorg. The result was even more amazing than they had imagined, many families were reunited and all of the other Boovs finally learned how to face difficult things without finding there next ship out. Maybe everyone does not run that may read this blog. But I’m talking to my runners on this one. What if you stayed this time? Some things require us to sit with them a little longer than others. Exhale, inhale breathe and slow down. In the popular Pixar film Brave, pixar spent three years studying the physics of curly hair in order to correctly render the character Merida’s hair in Brave. As simple as that detail appeared to be it took a lot of time, dedication and sacrifice to produce the desired result.
I truly encourage you today that greatness takes time, art takes time, our walk with Christ takes time. If you’re struggling to stay on course with your walk with Jesus Christ and you feel like you’re too far gone. I just want you to know that you can’t outrun him. He chases us down even when our hearts are not tethered to him, his heart is tethered to ours. If you feel like you are too far gone then you’re not. God is right beside us even when we are least aware of him.
What do we do when the pressure comes as we stay the course? My simple answer is to build up a strong foundation in Jesus Christ. His words, love and precepts are a strong tower which will keep us grounded in faith. If the foundation of our lives is built in Christ the wait in the wine press will bring value. He will guide you through to the best result in every aspect of your life. I remember this song we sang in Sunday School that is truly fitting to where our foundation should be built. ” The wise man built his house upon the rock ,And the rains came tumbling down, The rains came down and the floods came up,And the house on the rock stood firm.The foolish man built his house upon the sand, And the rains came tumbling down,The rains came down and the floods came up, And the house on the sand went crash.” Where will you build your foundation today?
I leave you with this scripture today, “Matthew 7:24-27; 24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”
Maranatha 