Assignment: Write a psalm that is at least 3-5 sentence to God. It can be from your heart, from another’s perspective or a psalm/prayer for someone else, but it’s a conversation with God. Pour your heart out. The twist: use three words you’ve never used when talking to God.
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Simple enough, right? That’s what I thought too until I tried thinking of three words. My screen saver is even dictionary words, but I had no idea what to write about. Luckily Herman and Freddy joined us for dinner and we ended up in a discussion about the wine making process. Making wine, beer, and cheese are all on my bucket list by the way. As he explained to me the process for himself at his small home vineyard it triggered a curiosity. He said his best bottles of wine were the ones he had handled himself. That he had picked, that he had bruised and seen through the process.
After they went home I went to the wine makers dictionary online and was immediately pulled in. Something shifted and I was no longer reading about the wine making process, but I was the grapes and God the winemaker. This was the result:
Lord, where are you? Don’t you see I have decisions to make?
If you won’t show up, I will talk to myself and only then will I see that you have blessed me.
Your absence has made me realize that I need not question only praise, for my life is good. You know what you are doing.
Taking a step in any direction is an enjoyable sip of your aged wine.
You’ve pressed me and left me aging in the oak to wrestle with the unexpected. Yeast eats at me as I soften and old characteristics are lost as I gain characteristics of you.
How long was it that I aged before realizing you have given me all I need to develop tannins of wisdom, courage and decisiveness.
I thought your punching down a punishment; Instead it refined me and brought out only the most desirable characteristics and strengths I could produce.
What can I offer the winemaker? I’ll pour you a glass of myself- of all that you infused. Let me decant the indecisiveness, confusion, and pride: A final separation. Judge me to be balanced, with a robust body that lingers– a mature wine.
The highlighted words were so beautiful in the wine makers dictionary, especially “punching down.” It reminded me that though we feel like life is beating the hell out of us or that we are in the wilderness and don’t know what is going on that God is working. That when things seem the roughest he is extracting the boldest colors and the best characteristics of who we are and when we finally come out on the other side we’re ready for the maturing process, we are ready to become more like him, and ready to enjoy the inheritance that he’s prepared for us- a vintage glass of wine is what he has in store not a 2 buck chuck.
The other thing that was a beautiful picture was that as the wine matures in the oak it takes on it’s characteristics. It’s the same way in our relationship with God. As we spend time with him, in his word, in prayer, in serving we start to lose the old (the yeast eating away) and look more and more like him as we mature.
So, think differently. Put down your bible and pick up a wine makers dictionary and let God speak to you. (Don’t worry you can read it later. You won’t be in trouble) The imagery used in the bible of who he is is incredible. He is the master gardener, the vine, our life source. He is the one tending to us and sees us through the entire process.
Now I challenge you to do the same. Think outside of the box a bit. Its’s wonderful to read the psalms, to relate to their hearts, and feel their emotions, but God is interested in you, right now and what is on your heart. What is your psalm, your tone, your language? I wonder what he’ll reveal to you through a walk in the park, a science/medical book, time with your kids or even cooking dinner. Get creative. He loves it and I think you will too.
Please share them with me! Don’t be shy-Post them on your blog and put the link in my comments. Or email them to me at [email protected] I’d love to put some guest posts on here as well!
