Wineskins of Delight:  by Joey

 

I was thinking about the word Metanoia…so I looked to investigate the meaning online.

metanoia/ˌmedəˈnoiə/Metanoia (pronounced meh-tuh-NOY-uh) is an Ancient Greek word that translates literally to "changing one's mind." In broader usage, it refers to a profound, transformative change in one's heart, self, or way of life, often brought about by an epiphany, crisis, or deep personal awakening.

 

In the last several weeks, I have been through continual water waves that prayer has helped me navigate, and in doing so, my reliance on the HS has become even more intense and real. You might say it has been a personal awakening in the midst of crisis.

 

For me, 'change your mind' has been a roller coaster of surrendering what I think I am justified in feeling ... unforgiveness toward someone breaking my trust and, in the end, causing me 1000s of dollars in dental. The problem with that is that all unforgiveness does to one's walk is make it brittle and unusable.

 

On my commute home tonight, I was reminded of the verse in Matthew 9:17 Nor is new wine put into old [a]wineskins [that have lost their elasticity]; otherwise the wineskins burst, and the [fermenting] wine spills and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, so both are preserved.”

 

When I was a little girl, my mom did a lot of canning, and my favorite was preserves. Her plan was to keep food from spoiling so we would have it in time of need. Synonyms for the word preserve include: Protect, save, safeguard, sustain, and maintain.

 

If I think about this from the Father's view, I am truly blown away by how persistently faithful he is to move... even when I am less than sure of the road ahead as being anything but constant stress. In fact, I am so aware in this moment of the verse that has become a living word:

 

Isa.30:20 And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers. And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, “This is the way; walk ye in it,” when ye turn to the right hand and when ye turn to the left.

 

Reading further, I found theologians have commonly translated it as "repentance," which can carry a heavy tone of sorrow or guilt. True metanoia emphasizes a complete, positive transformation of the mind and direction--- rather than just looking back with regret. For me, this is no small thing. If I am being really honest, I have struggled with regret in many areas...to the point of never really feeling free of a past that is dead and gone. Psalm 103:12: "As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us".

 

I am truly blown away by the compassion and the mercy the Father has in teaching us to forgive ourselves and others when we simply recognise it's all about changing one's mind. It has not changed the circumstance, but it has begun a healing in me that I can hold on to. Making my prayer become... remove the dross as I truly learn to surrender all so that I would be a vessel able to hold new wine. (Gal. 6:9)

 

Winding this down, I am left with the image that we are nothing like what the Father sees...and yet he desires to empower us to see ourselves in the light of his truth, and not in the dark we perceive as real. Matt.6:22 “The light of the body is the eye. If therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.  Amen and Amen!