~ written by Connie Dunmyer
Romans 6:13 (KJV) “. . . but yield yourselves unto God,”
Allow me to introduce myself and this new blog to you.
I like wine. To be precise, I enjoy really fine wines. As the German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe has been quoted many times – “Life is too short to drink bad wine.” One night some years ago, while studying Bruce Wilkinson’s “Secrets of the Vine”, I prayed “Lord, make me a fine cabernet sauvignon – not just a chardonnay”. Now before all the chardonnay-lovers tune me out, allow me to explain. Winemaking is very spiritual to me; the care, cleaning, & pruning of the vines in particular. The “crush” is also significant. While a chardonnay is indeed “crushed”, a cabernet must “soak” in those crushed skins. Following that, there is a long wait-time for a cabernet to become “fine”. Chardonnays wait months, while a fine cabernet sauvignon waits years. All that to say there was method (and preference) to my request.
Currently I am experiencing one of those crushing, soaking, & waiting times. During these dark days, I have felt completely “crushed” & spilled out. There are days it’s hard to breathe. So I find myself spending hours a day “soaking” in the Scriptures, being “stirred” by the Holy Spirit as He permeates my heart, breath, mind & being. And then there is the “waiting”. Oh the waiting! Remember, a fine cabernet waits years. While reading “Grace Grows Best in Winter”, Maragret Clarkson writes about “Raising a Memorial” during difficult days. The purpose is to have something physical to look at and remind us of our resolve and the goodness of our God. The Bible is full of examples of memorials. Our family created a memorial several years ago, where it sits to this day on our property. Each rock is a specific miracle or answer to prayer. So I asked God, “what kind of memorial shall I create?” And right on cue, He answered. Since I am in the “waiting” or the “bottled” stage – I could create a wine label to fit on a cabernet bottle. It would symbolically incorporate the things I’ve been learning.
The first thing I needed was a name. I wrote a couple of contenders, and then it hit me – “Yield”. The word “yield" speaks to both me giving myself & my ways over to God [Romans 6:13, KJV - 13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.] . . . And at the same time it speaks to what God is producing in me & providing for me [Hebrews 12:11, ESV - 11 For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.] . . . “Yield”.
Each piece of the label means something to me when I look at it.
- The black background is the dark veil which now hides the answer – the “Dark Before the Morning” (song by Josh Wilson).
- The gold edge is God’s Provision – a glimpse of what He’s preparing.
- The logo – a gold grain sheaf – symbolic of a bountiful harvest.
- It’s a Signature Reserve. A Signature wine is a special wine created by the Winemaker in small batches. A Reserve wine is top of the line, only the best grapes, and has a longer aging process. The Signature Reserve is so special, the Winemaker signs his very Name to it. This symbolizes the fact that I am no longer my own; I am “signed” by the Creator of the Universe, “reserved” for His purposes. Galatians 2:20, NIV - 20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
- 1960 is the year I was born. For even before I knew Him, God was working in me all this time, for this moment. Esther 4:14, NIV – 14 ... And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?
- And of course, I have already explained my prayer about being a Cabernet Sauvignon.
So when the Lord moved me toward creating this blog, I found that the simple word “Yield” would necessarily be the title. This is my attitude, my prayer, the anthem of my heart – Yield. I find that the degree to which I yield to God is in direct proportion to the yield He provides. So I will yield all I am & have, that I may gain all He is and has. Even “in the waiting”, [Kristene DeMarco “Take Courage”].
So this is where you and I begin together – as we “Yield” together to our Abba Who loves us more than we can imagine. I do not intend to be “preachy” or give you “dos and don’ts”. And I am not going to argue or debate. My only goal, my only hope is that you might find your own footing from some of the steps I have taken; some lessons in what I’ve experienced. Perhaps you may want to “Raise a Memorial” for yourself, representing your resolve to what God is doing in your life. Or perhaps you aren’t ready for that. Perhaps the ability to sacrifice, to yield, seems impossible. That’s ok. Honesty is the first step. I can tell you from experience, the Father is ever-patient and ever-loving, and always tenderly listens to our honest heart cries.
May God bless all “who have ears to hear” His Word.
John Wesley’s Covenant Prayer
I am no longer my own, but yours.
Put me to what you will, place me with whom you will.
Put me to doing, put me to suffering.
Let me be put to work for you or set aside for you,
Praised for you or criticized for you.
Let me be full, let me be empty.
Let me have all things, let me have nothing.
I freely and fully surrender all things
To your glory and service.
And now, O wonderful and holy God,
Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer,
You are mine, and I am yours. So be it.
And the covenant which I have made on earth,
Let it also be made in heaven. Amen.
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© 2025: Connie F. Dunmyer, All Rights Reserved.