Making Lemons From Lemonade

No - I didn't say it backwards. Years of "positive thinking" training taught me to make lemonade from of lemons. Then I had an aha moment. I had it backwards. God is in charge. His ways are best. God always gives me lemonade and I misinterpret it and think I have lemons. When I remember to love God with my entire mind, heart, soul, and strength, I stop whining about lemons and recognize the lemonade. When I recognize the lemonade and take a giant gulp from my glass of life, I am refreshed.

Everything Is Lemonade

Take yesterday for example. I serve on an International non-profit board that meets several times a year in Albuquerque, New Mexico. When I was elected, I lived in Phoenix - a one hour flight away. Now I live in State College, Pa. What used to be a 1 hour flight takes 9 hours and an extra overnight stay. Whine whine whine.

Then I remembered I was in ministry and it was my job to travel the country telling people about Jesus. Usually, ministry supporters fund missionary trips. Yesterday was a chance to pass through 3 airports, travel in six vehicles and eat in public places - all funded by an outside organization. My lemonade was that God had funded an entire day of missions with hundreds of potential people to serve. It was lemonade all the time but I thought it was lemons.

When I recognized the lemonade, suddenly I grew grateful for the longer trip. Once grateful, I noticed the lovely clouds, the amazing snow over the Denver mountains, and the children frolicking in the airports. Everywhere I went became an adventure. Bumps on the plane were opportunites for intense prayer and offering comfort to worried passengers. I smiled at people, comforted a women recently divorced, briskly walked everywhere (so it counted as my daily exercise,) thanked military people for their service, and tried to be Jesus to the world.

Lemonade is better then lemons any day of the week. No wonder it was so much work trying to make lemonade. I aready had it. Why, when uncomfortable with circumstances, do I assume they are bad? Where does my faith go? Didn't God say that if I love Him and are called according to His purposes, everything is going to work out for my good? Why do I try so hard to turn life back into lemons?