Ask a grape what it feels like to get crushed, but not out loud or people will think you are crazy. The truth is, there are times when many of us have felt or will feel crushed beyond measure. No one likes the process. If the grape is gently squeezed, only a little bit of the good stuff comes out. Unfortunately, to get all the good out of them, they must be completely crushed. This devastating process leaves a broken, outward shell; a fraction of what used to be.
But what comes next, is a miraculous work of God. When all the goodness is trapped inside the grape, no one can benefit from it. But when you are willing and obedient, God can use you in a way that you never imagined. This way can bring incredible discomfort, pain, or suffering. But through that struggle, you become a survivor and a beacon of light to shine for others. When what could have killed you, did not, they start to wonder why. When all earthly evidence says you should’ve quit long before now, they are curious as to why you are still standing.
When you no longer boast of your strengths, abilities, or knowledge, it is likely that you have been crushed in some tremendous way. You suddenly realize that you are just as human as everyone else. The process is grueling but one day you might just look back and see that it was not all bad. It may not be good that it happened but perhaps someone can draw inspiration from you. It may be exactly what they need to get through a difficult part of their life. When you share the same struggle as others, there is a unique feeling known only to those a part of it. There is a shared comradery the rest of us, without the experience, will never have.
Refuse to let a crushing experience destroy you. If you cannot seem to get through it for yourself, then look beyond yourself and get through it for the lives that follow. It may be for one person or ten. The number doesn’t matter. Whomever it ends up being, they are counting on you to overcome. Show them how!
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