Thoughts About Winemaking

Scripture: Meanwhile, friends, wait patiently for the Master’s Arrival. You see farmers do this all the time, waiting for their valuable crops to mature, patiently letting the rain do its slow but sure work. Be patient like that. Stay steady and strong. The Master could arrive at any time. James 5:7-8

Observation: In encouraging believers to be patient as they wait upon the Lord ... wait for his blessings, for his plan to unfold, and ultimately for Messiah to return ... James uses the basic metaphor of a farmer. The farmer plants seed, then waits for months for the crop. Even when the crop emerges, the farmer waits for the right time to harvest. The farmer has absolutely no ability to change any of this - he cannot expedite any of the timing - but simply waits.

Application: This metaphor is perfect for me, as I have thought many, many times about the job of a vintner ... of a master winemaker. I know several. We all have this idea that this is a glamorous career, equal parts art and science. We envision the ability to taste wine at various stages, pulling out nuanced flavor notes, imagining different blendings for various barrels. We see the winemaker masterfully creating a product greater than the sum of its parts. Then we interact with the winemaker in a winery tasting room, where they receive accolades from strangers, cheerful greetings from friends, and admiration from all. This is the "job" of a winemaker.

And the truth is that everything I just said is ... probably 4 percent of the job. The 96 percent is farm labor. It is sludging through acres of mud in late-winter rains to trim and dress vines. It is stressing over bud break and knowing when and how to intervene in the pollination process. It is responding to plant diseases both general and specific. It is assessing clusters of fruit with an expert eye on the right actions to take to optimize both growth and yield. It is using both heavy equipment and laborious handwork to harvest tons of produce in the midst of late-summer heat. It is exercising a lifetime of chemistry education to evaluate the composition of liquid while it is changed by microscopic organisms. It is operating a warehouse of super-heavy and very-valuable inventory while it sits around and does nothing for up to three years. It is hands-on working an assembly line, and likely personally repairing the associated equipment.

In other words, a winemaker's job is to work very, very hard, in dirty environments, with little guarantee of success, only to emerge publicly every once in a while to receive praise for the results. Yet I know many winemakers who keep doing the job well into their retirement age, because the results and the praise must be worth it.

This is my takeaway from James. There is hard, hard work within the earthly kingdom of God, and it involves a long, long time of patience ... but the results and the praise will be oh so worth it!! When we meet Jesus - be it when his kingdom comes or we return to him - it will be glorious beyond any measure, causing us to forget all hardship.

I wait patiently for Jesus, and while I wait I strive to do the work of the Lord as he has prescribed. I want to simply labor in the field. Someday, maybe still decades away, I will rejoice when I hear six words ... 'well done, good and faithful servant.'

Prayer: Lord, I know I have a long time still to see you, for I know that I am not yet in the place to hear your praise. I truly want nothing more than that. May I work your fields, getting my hands dirty, and being patient like a good farmer. Thy will be done. Amen.