MAKING LEMONADE

“Making lemonade, we’re making lemonade; in the sunshine or the shade, we’re making lemon-a-a-ade,” the song continued as Caleb and I enjoyed another viewing of “Boz.” Actually, I think I know the entire DVD by heart. I was still a little puzzled to have the song play over and over in my head all night. I figured God must be trying to teach me one of life’s little lessons.

I love fruit; apples, oranges, bananas, strawberries, kiwi, pineapple, grapes, watermelon, cantaloupe, peaches, ok, you get the picture. You notice I didn’t include lemons. Lemons may be good for a lot of things but taking a big bite out of one doesn’t send my taste buds into orbit. I like a slice of lemon in a glass of water or squeezed over a plate of shrimp, but a little goes a long way. Now, back to my lesson.

We’ve all heard the expression, “If life hands you lemons, make lemonade.” It sounds good, but the doing isn’t as easy as the saying. Every one of us has experienced a few lemons in our life, some more sour than others and often more than just a squeeze. There are times we’re not in the mood for some lemonade and there’s just not enough sugar to sweeten them. We lay them over for later use or in the hope that they will just disappear. Lemons don’t disappear. If they aren’t put to the proper use in a short amount of time they become bitter, rotten, or so hard you can’t squeeze a drop of juice out of them. When you wait too long, they can only be ground up in the garbage disposal and flushed into the sewer.

On the flip side, there is nothing more refreshing than a frosty glass of lemonade on a hot day. Savor the first long drink, let the coolness flood your soul, the day won’t seem quite so hot. You can share a glass with a friend; use the lemons in your life to minister to a neighbor who has a few lemons of his own. Allow the lemons to bless you; set up a lemonade stand. People will linger just a little longer when you are serving sweet instead of sour.

So if life is handing you lemons, let the sweetness of the Holy Spirit cover the situation, sit back and enjoy the lemonade.