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From Lemons to Lemonade

"Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus."  Phil. 2:5

Last Friday I found myself with five very anxious children who were excited about going to swim in the pool in my mother-in-law's subdivision.  As we approached the pool, we all marveled at how nobody was there and that we would have the pool all to ourselves.  It wasn't until we got a little closer that we realized why nobody was there . . . there was a padlock on the gate and the pool was closed for maintenance!

As we walked away and I very quickly realized that I had five children who were dressed and ready to go swimming, I said to them,

"Well, looks like we're going to have to take our lemons and make lemonade!"

My daughter had never heard that expression so she asked me what it meant.  I explained to her that it basically meant that you take something bad and turn it into something good.  Although the pool was closed, we could still make it a fun day by going to the beach. 

Her first response was negative because she undoubtedly prefers a pool over the beach any day.  However, by the time we got settled at the beach, she had a load of fun and was so glad that we didn't just throw in the towel and pack up and go home after our failed attempt to go swimming.

Just like Savannah balked at the idea of going to the beach instead of the pool, I've realized that many people don't like taking their lemons and making lemonade.  Maybe they're like Savannah and had their hearts and minds set on something and they can't fathom anything else being nearly as good.  Perhaps they know that "making lemonade" is hard work and they don't feel that they are up for the task.

As I read God's Word, it appears that the children of Israel weren't too fond of lemonade!  God had given them an opportunity for freedom from captivity and slavery, but because along the way of departure from Egypt they found themselves in what appeared to be a continual grove of lemons, they were none too happy!

We hear them grumbling to Moses about their hunger pangs, about bad tasting water, and their unfathomable desire to return back to their days of captivity in Egypt.  They were being offered the gift of freedom and the opportunity to return to their homeland, yet they were so discontent with their lot in life that they had no desire to make lemonade out of their lemons.

The Israelites were missing a very important ingredient.  Besides the lemons, the ingredient you can't do without whenever you are making lemonade is sugar.  You've got to sweeten it up in order to make the tartness from the lemons a little more palatable, and the Israelites must have been out of sugar!

In the lives of the Israelites, as well as in our lives today, the sugar we use to sweeten things up is our attitude.  If our perspective on our circumstances is sweetened with positivity and joy, then our situation will appear less bleak and more bearable.

Paul reminded the church at Philippi that we are to imitate Christ whenever we are facing the inevitable sour days of life.  He reminded them (and us) that no matter how negative our lot in life may appear to be, not a single one of our circumstances can compare with what Christ endured. 

In spite of Christ's sufferings, He walked through them with humility, obedience, and never once grumbled a negative sentiment.  He was able to do that because He knew that what He had to endure was going to be worth it in the end.  His suffering was going to provide eternal salvation for mankind.  The arduous process of making lemonade was going to be well worth its sweet taste in the end.

So, what if life gives you lemons, and you don't like lemonade? 

Have you tried sweetening up your situation with a positive attitude in order to make it easier to swallow?

Do you imitate the humble attitude of Christ by realizing that the end result of what you are enduring will be well worth the work of squeezing lemons?

Commit today to make your attitude resemble Christ's, no matter what situation you may face today.  We have the opportunity to let our life reflect Christ or deflect Him with our attitude and perspective on our situations.  Make the choice today to reflect Christ, no matter how sour your circumstances may be!

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