Pressure

 November 13, 2020

Making cider is simple: gather apples, cut them in quarters, dump the pieces into the hopper, crank the grinder, fold the mesh, and start turning the screw. Pressure makes the juice flow. No grinding, no pressure, no sweet cider. The finer the grind, the more the pressure, the more cider we get. 

Much of life works that way. We love the times of ease, when the pressure’s off and we can relax. It feels good, but the sweetness doesn’t come from relaxation. It comes from the grinding and the pressure. COVID has certainly provided both, but the result hasn’t always been sweetness because the grind and the pressure can only squeeze out what is inside. Dry, bitter apples will make bitter cider, and only a small amount. So I ask myself, “What is the grinding and pressure bringing out in me? Am I producing sweet nourishment or bitter disappointment? I hope the former, but fear the latter. 

I don’t like the pressure any more than anyone else, but it’s necessary if I am to reveal the character of Christ. The Eternal Cider Maker knows best, and won’t hesitate to put the squeeze on me to slake his thirst for holiness. And even when I resist, I am thankful that he doesn’t relent. The product is worth it.