When Life Gives You Circumstances, Don't Make Lemons
It’s as classic a cliché as ever spoken — “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.”
But there may be something you don't know about lemons. Though they have been around for millennia, they do not occur in nature “naturally.” Rather, they have been hybridized as a cross between a bitter orange and a citron. In other words, lemons are man made.
As suggested by internet blogger J. Cormack, since lemons were selectively bred by humans, it could be said that life doesn’t give us lemons, but rather we make lemons out of life.
All too often, by our own poor attitudes, actions, and choices, we end up twisting life’s circumstances into something bitter, something sour.
So, next time we’re tempted to blame “life” for our problems, we should take a good look in the mirror. It may not be life throwing those bitter circumstances our way. They may all too often be of our own making.
Moral of the story ... When life gives you circumstances, don't make lemons!
“Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life” (Galatians 6:7-8, ESV).
“I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the LORD your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.”” (Deuteronomy 30:19-20, ESV).
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law (Galatians 5:22-23, ESV).
Bring A Better Face
Often times as a teenager, I would look at our family photos and complain that I looked terrible. My father would quickly reply, "If you want a better picture, bring a better face."
I realized later in life that my father was trying to teach me something more than how to take a better picture. He wanted me to know that a poor attitude, whether anger, or upset, or bitterness comes through on our face. When this would happen, he would instruct me to wipe that look off of my face. The problem wasn't with the camera but with my attitude.
In life, the best way to be become a better person is to take on a better attitude. When we "put on Christ" we done ourselves with His character. His love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness & self-control is expressed on our face.
When that happens, we will take better pictures!
"Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh" (Romans 13:14).
Happy Birthday Pothole!
Chloe Bryan with MASHABLE.COM reports:
Jackson, Mississippi resident Eddie Prosser was tired of the pothole that had graced his neighborhood for a year, unfixed. So he got the city's attention — by throwing the pothole a birthday party.
The delightful display features a festive birthday balloon as well as a giant birthday card reading "Happy birthday, Pothole!" in beautiful script.
To drive the point home, the sign also says "I've been here for over a year!"
Prosser told WJTV News that although the sign was intended as a joke, he really was frustrated with the city's lack of action.
Finally, after local news outlets reported on the pothole party, the city fixed it.
Celebrating a pothole is a strange way to address the problem, but in the case of Eddie Prosser, it was the change of attitude that finally worked.
Is it time for a change of attitude toward the potholes in your life? Instead of sitting around resenting your troubles, maybe it’s time to take a different tactic. The Bible encourages us to follow Mr. Prosser's example when it says, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds” (James 1:2, ESV).
Maybe it's time to stop griping, and throw a party instead.