An Italian friend of mine once described the phenomenon of the winepress, how he had watched as his Dad pressed grapes almost flat before the husk broke and the juices burst from the press. The grape has a way of holding back enormous pressure until the last moment before its goodness spills forth. So is the case with revelation, its truth concealed until someone cares deeply enough to struggle or even suffer for its release?
As pointed out in this morning’s readings from Oswald Chambers, one “gives expression to the truth that has been dumbly struggling in you for utterance.” The author I aspire toward is not one who simply borrows from others as I just did, but presses into God through some spiritual wrestling, mental wondering or practical experience. God deliver me from lazy devotions and simple chatter; conversations that deliver no “Aha’s” ! As well, that God protect me from the arrogance of thinking that ever word I have to offer is new insight and deserves an audience.
I do believe that every life is unique and that the insights and life experiences of every person deserve recording; thus my itch of late to write, as I now have threescore years upon which to reflect.
Likewise, the deeper into the journey the shorter the distance to the finish line. Though I am not a runner, in earlier times when I have run in races, there was always the last leg of the mile, where ones give it their all. I am at that point in life, the Red Zone!
“I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and as long as I live it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die. For the harder I work the more I live. I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no brief candle to me. It’s a sort of splendid torch which I’ve got to hold up for the moment and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing on to future generations.”
-George Bernard Shaw