When Life Hands You Lemons

How many of us have heard this phrase? When life hands you lemons, make lemonade. We’re all too familiar with it and we know what it means. When life is sour, take the situation and make it sweet. Look at life from a more positive perspective. The problem is that we automatically picture those lemons to be in really good and perfect condition. We imagine bright yellow lemons. But, what happens when a person’s lemons are not so bright? What happens when their lemons are moldy and old and full of spots? Can this person use those lemons still to make some sweet, sour lemonade?

The point of this is that we don’t always know the condition of each person’s lives. We don’t always know if they can see the good from what is going on in their life. Life is hard and even though God is good, we still experience pain, loss, and devastation. When we feel like we’re living in a dark place, it’s hard to see that glimmer of hope. It is hard to see the silver lining. Sometimes we don’t understand what that is like until we get there ourselves.

So, what do we do if we’re in this place? We take one day at a time. We give ourselves grace. We do our best to open up to the people who love us and care about us, people we can trust. Give it to the Lord. You can be authentic and genuine with Him. He can handle your anger, frustration, pain, bitterness, resentment, and devastation. He is equipped to handle it all. He also knows you may be upset with Him. We can still love God with all our hearts and not understand why horrible things are happening to us or around us. He gets that and He loves you.

What do you do if you have a family member, friend, or coworker who is in this place? Be supportive. Listen to them. Let them know they are in a safe space to share their heart with you. Be patient with them. Love them. Don’t give advice unless they ask for it. Be mindful about sharing scripture because sometimes it can come of judgmental and critical. Also, sometimes we don’t have words to express what we feel when someone we love is struggling. It’s ok to say that. “I don’t know what to say right now. I’m sorry. I love you. I am here with you.” Ask them what they need and if they don’t know, let them know you’re there when they have time to think about their needs. Pray for them and intercede on their behalf.

The greatest thing I ever heard someone say was that no matter where they were, God was there. More specifically, when they hit rock bottom, when they were crying on their bedroom floor in agony, God was there with them. He was on the floor with them. He was in their rock bottom. This is God’s character, to meet you where you are and love you.

So, when life hands you lemons, sometimes we can’t always make lemonade and that’s ok. You are loved and you are important. You are also not alone.