When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Lemonade
At the beginning of any new year (yes I know it is already March!) people become contemplative, wondering what the new year will bring. Wondering what lies ahead. Well lately life has been handing people in my family some lemons. I begin this new year with more questions then I do excitement, but that tells me God is going to move in mighty unseen ways.
As I was driving home God said, “Lori what can you do with lemons?” Lemons are tart, most people don’t eat them just as they are, for many people they by themselves are undesirable. That is like some of the trails and questions we face, they by themselves are undesirable. But what happens to lemons if you add some water and some sweetener with a tall glass of ice, you have a nice drink of lemonade. Something that is desirable on a hot summer day. What if God takes your trials, your questions, adds a little more “through” kind of faith, grace and mercy into the mix? Then you have something that was undesirable, now bringing Glory to Him.
What I do know to be true is that if God is calling you to go through something, he will provide the means necessary to do so. Life may become unpleasant, our natural desire is to live a relatively easy life, but one thing I have learned is that God’s power is shown brighter through our weakness. When trials come, and life changes, God is calling you worthy. He is holding your hand through everything, asking you to be a vessel for His power. I guess the question remains, how will each of us respond? Because we have free will, God will allow us to fall into the pit of despair, he will allow us to become angry and bitter, but that is not his desire.
So I sit here looking at what is to come, asking God to remove some thorns, but knowing in my heart God is going to ask me to have some “through” kind of faith. God is asking me if he can take my lemons and walk me through the process in making some sweet lemonade.
Is your future uncertain, are you still dealing with job loss or health issues? Has life given you some lemons? Be encouraged God’s power is stronger in your weakness and he can take the undesirable and use it to bring Glory to Him. Right now for me, I take my Saviors hand and ask him to show me how to make sweet lemonade. How about you?
Yesterday I had a pretty bad day at work; but today is another day with new hope and life. I am glad that I can take His hand when the days are not so good; and raise my hand in praise when the days are beautiful.
MANY years ago I was under the mistaken impression that at some point life would “smooth out”! When that never happened, I came to realize the Lord is more interested in transforming me into the likeness of His Son more than He is interested in my comfort! Life is NOT easy, but our God is faithful and he will bring us through the hard times of this life. On the other side of the those trials, we’ll be more polished for His glory!
Thank God for the lemons! James 1:2-4
It’s always great to look back and see how God used the lemons of our lives to do something great and sweet.
Thank you so much for this post. I was writing on my private blog about turning lemons into lemonade and ran across your blog. My husband and I have been on the official wait list to adopt an infant child for the past 2 years and 5 months. We recently had a very delicate situation in which we said yes we did want our profile shown. We found out today, that the couple choose another waiting family. It is disappointed but I know that God knows the road in which we are to go, but I have to let Him drive that car. Please pray that this young mother and father, and the little girl (there is a lot of uncertain medical conditions) and the adoptive family. Your blog really hit home with me and I really appreciate your words of encouragement.