Birthdays, Upgrades, and New Wine

So yesterday I turned 38. And in my 38 years of birthdays (or at least the ones I remember), I have pretty much hated my birthday. While I do many things in the “spotlight”, I actually very much hate attention. I do not like all eyes on me, so to speak.

So an entire day all about me?! 😬 squirm

My family and close friends are teaching me how to do this though — how to be okay with being celebrated. And this year I let go and pressed in. I received. And it was hard. I cried a lot because I felt undeserving on so many levels. But as my sis-in-law said, I am a daughter of a KING. And the daughter of a King would be lavished in beautiful things and she would be celebrated.

I had a major upgrade to the next level yesterday. It’s uncomfortable reaching for the next rung on the ladder and pulling yourself up. It’s almost like a squeezing. A pressing.

God is pouring out the old wine and replacing my old wineskin to make room for the new. New wine. New mercies. New levels. I’m meant to go from glory to glory. But not without a little heat along the way.

I’m thankful for a new year of life. Last year as I lay in a hospital bed warring for my life, I knew I wanted and needed to LIVE. And not just go through the motions live, but truly LIVE. Live in abundance. Live in community. Allow myself to be seen and heard. And loved.

The pressing and the crushing can feel like death, but it is necessary for new life. And a new form too! A grape doesn’t come out of the pressing in the shape of a grape…it comes out as a liquid. And that liquid is then enjoyed by many…many more than a singular grape would have been.

Today’s a new day. Embrace the transformation process you are in. It is a beautiful, glorious thing! 💕

**If you’re in a pressing/crushing season, comment with an emoji…gif…anything and I will pray for you today!