All of a sudden I am back in the wine press.

I suppose I never left there, but the pressing and crushing is intense right now. Just when it seemed to let up — it began again.

I take hope in what Nate Johnston writes:

“You’re crushing place doesn’t stay a place of defeat but soon becomes a place of breakthrough for you and others around you.”

I know I’ve gone this way before, but every time something else gets dealt with and crushed in my life it feels like a new experience.

The past two weekends I’ve had to face physical challenges that have taxed my body to the limit. But as I’m going through this intense training, I have to remember I’ve come through victorious before and although the pain is so intense in that moment, I know there’s a finish line up ahead, and I will get there, one step at a time, one pedal stroke at a time.

But this time it’s the hardest I’ve ever gone through. But yesterday I surprised myself. I had to rely on a couple things, a word from a friend from The LORD and and what The LORD was telling me in the hardest moment of my climb up a mountain on my bike.

On our way out to the mountains yesterday, a friend I hadn’t seen in a long time texted me and said she had been thinking of me the past few days. Her timing to call was perfect.

I was apprehensive of my upcoming venture of cycling up the highest mountain pass in Canada, with 26 km of straight climbing.

She laughed and said “Oh, you’re going to have FUN! I see Jesus riding with you and He’s pedaling with you. He’s laughing!” Fun?!?

Well, it was a struggle in wind, rain and even snow (!) but I kept thinking of that word. I hung onto that promise and as I pedaled I was thinking of Jesus riding with me and He was teaching me to overcome, stroke by stroke.

I was being crushed, but finally found a surprising breakthrough in the last few kilometers of the climb to the top of the mountain (over 7000 feet).

I felt the inclination not only to push down on the pedal stroke but to also pull up. So as I started to concentrate on each stroke in a precise manner, I gained speed. Soon I caught up to my daughter who was far ahead of me!

As long as I FOCUSED on the pedal stroke the power increased and I gained momentum. When my husband started talking I lost focus and was distracted and fell behind.

What I found was when it was just me and Jesus, I could fly ahead to the goal. All other voices were a distraction.

I even beat my daughter up that mountain and I could feel Jesus’s pleasure at my effort and accomplishment.

Friends, this wine press won’t last forever. You won’t be fighting this particular battle forever. He wants you to focus on bringing Him pleasure by letting Him help you in this crushing. We have to keep our eyes fixed on Him all the way.

Eliminate all other voices and hear Him, feel Him and yield to Him. It’s hard but it’s so worth it.

At the top of the mountain it started to snow! Like the Spirit falling on us, we knew we had achieved what we came for.

The ride down was a fast one. Through a rainstorm and wind, it still wasn’t an easy ride, but it was RAPID ACCELERATION! We went so fast we had to be careful.

The next phase in this is ACCELERATION! Your hard efforts and struggle will have been worth it!

No matter who or what is coming against you in this moment, we know these trouble are but temporary and we will have achieved an advancement to the next level.

The levels are never ending but we begin to have more authority with every victory!

Never give up!

 

Blessings,
~ Heidi Bryden

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Heidi Bryden is a devout follower of The LORD Jesus Christ, whose desire is to hear and obey the calling on her life to serve Him, through sharing what the Holy Spirit impresses upon her through poems, dreams, and words of knowledge.

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