"When life gives you lemons, make lemonade." How many times have you heard that little phrase? I've heard it quite a few times, and it's also written, in part, above my boss's pantry, so I think about it everyday! What are my lemons? Am I making them into lemonade? While this phrase is thrown around cheaply and a little cliche, I really think there's some wisdom there. I don't think "life" is the one handing out the lemons, we personify life as if it's the determiner of our luck, and I don't think we are really capable of making something good out of our trials. I do, however, think God allows trials in our lives and I do think we have a choice of whether to focus on the sourness of the lemons, or to focus on how sweet they could be if we let their creator make them into something sweet.
Today I'm supposed to find "3 gifts found in reflection", at first I was looking for gifts literally "found in reflection", like a mirror or body of water, then I realized there's another definition of that word. So after God brought the lemonade cliche into my head, I spent some time "reflecting" on the recent lemons He's given me and how He's been making them into lemonade.
1.) Broken engagement. This was certainly a sour one, one I'd just assume throw away and forget about, didn't think I'd ever be ready to see good come of it! But God patiently waited until I was ready, until I had had time to mourn, and He started sweetening this trial. He showed me the power of forgiveness, the power of His love, the tenderness of His relationship with me, the lessons that He needed to teach me in that relationship, and what I'm really loving: He's teaching me how to be thankful. When I think about my life before all of this happened, I cringe. I'm so glad I'm not still there! I don't think I would've chosen this way to learn these lessons, and to grow and change, but I'm so thankful for how God has used this in my life. So thankful that He's brought me to this place. So thankful for Him.
2.) No job, no apartment. I thought this was a lemon at one point, but really it was lemonade in disguise! God used my hard circumstances to bring me an incredible job and an incredible living opportunity. When I stop and think about how thankful I am for my new job, and soon-to-be new condo, I am in awe of how God works. None of it is my doing!
3.) My brother's wandering. This is a fresh one, I'm really not liking it. I want to fix it, him. I want him to come home. But although this is new and fresh, God is already teaching me so much through it, and growing and stretching my faith. I can preach Gods sovereignty all day, but if I can't trust His sovereignty over my brother, it means nothing! I can say I'm trusting Him one day at a time, but if I'm constantly fretting about what tomorrow holds for Jacob and my family, it means nothing! Through His word and through the body of believers, God is gently reminding me that He's got this, and it's all going to be ok. Better than ok. I'm waiting on the edge of my seat to see Him turn these lemons into lemonade, He's doing it before our eyes. Stay tuned, the story's not over!
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