So you want to become wine, poured out and used by God . . . think again!  Yes, it’s a romantic thought seeing yourself as fine red wine in a beautiful glass, sunshine sparkling through your liquid, aromatic body just waiting to be drunk (used in an exceptional way by God), and leaving a most excellent finishing taste in the mouths and minds of those who have partaken of your wine goodness. You are the wine everyone is talking about!

A graphic reminder of what grapes go through when they give their lives to become wine. (The green grapes just roll away to rot, never useful accept as marbles)

Here’s a friendly reminder, wine is crushed grapes!  It is a violent experience of being crushed together with other grapes, some sitting around seemingly doing nothing in a barrel (aging to perfection), never seeing the light of day accept for when there’s a “taste test” by the Master wine maker (I don’t remember what they are called).  Then there’s more sitting until finally, the wine is perfect and ready to be served.

I’m just saying, there is no way around the process–no shortcuts in wine-making.  But the exclamation of delight from the Master wine maker is worth the process–“Well done, good and faithful servant!”