"Looking back, I examine previous periods of my life and remember how fearful I was in the midst of some of them. Now standing upon just over forty years of ministry, I look at that those places and realize they were integral to where God has taken me and where He will continue to take me. I see that each growth interval of my life was preceded by a planting phase where I was buried in a dirty place. I began to understand that the stages in my life where, at the time, I was certain I was about to meet my end were seed stages for the next season. I could not have produced the fruit without the frustration. And God could not ferment my fruit into His wine for maximum potency without my willingness to relinquish it to His winepress. ...
Transformation requires sacrifice, and I wonder if you have misinterpreted the the Vinedresser's intention. Instead of condemning you to a graveyard, which s what you may feel, God is planting you in richer soil for greater fruit." -T. D. Jakes Crushing
