“Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved.” Matthew 9:17
—
The old wineskin,
that covers this frame,
has become stiff,
and tough,
and bitter.
—
The New Wine,
that once filled this frame,
has been tasted,
and rejected,
and spit upon the ground,
leaving an empty skin,
tainted with yesterday’s desires,
allowed to go stale.
—
Like an old wineskin,
in the skillful hands,
of the Master,
it is time to have the stiffness,
beaten down,
the bitterness boiled out,
and the callousness,
scrapped away.
—
Cleansed,
supple, resilient,
once again this frame,
will be prepared to carry within,
the New Wine,
daily fresh,
daily blessed.
—
This time, Lord,
let me not sniff at,
let me not swirl around,
let me not fretfully sip,
and let me not spit out,
the New Wine,
placed inside.
—
But, let me savor,
every drop,
no matter the flavor,
or what I wish it might be,
or what I wish it could have been.
—
Let me cherish,
the new wine,
I’ve been prepared,
to carry,
that I’ve been sent,
to pour out.
—
And once again,
when I’ve allowed the wine,
to grow bitter and taint.
—
Renew the wineskin,
that covers this frame,
making it better,
than the first day,
it was sent,
to be a vessel,
destined to hold the best wine,
the wine that is served,
at the throne of the King.
—
Written 4-20-99
Linda J. Humes 