There is an old saying that goes, "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade!" The problem is that this metaphor breaks down pretty quickly; unless life also gives you sugar and water then you are pretty much just making lemon juice (a.k.a. you're screwed). The meaning is to take a bad situation and make it good. Better yet, profit from it! What do you do, however, when bad things happen and you can't find the bright side? What happens when you can't turn a profit?
The fact is that when you face tragedy or despair, sometimes you can't just "make lemonade." What is the bright side of a miscarriage? Of a family members death? Of a marriage gone up in flames? These are things that plague our lives and we struggle and fight to smile through these circumstances. Yes, God may use these to grow us and to make us better/holier, but is that reality enough to make us smile? Should it? Should we be able to look at death in the face and say "I'm happy because I know God will use this for my good!"? I'm not so sure that that is what is supposed to be our reaction to struggle.
Anger, sadness/sorrow are emotions that God gave us as gifts to understand the world around us and to process reality. Yet we so often reject these emotions as being holy and pure, writing them off as sinful or as signs of spiritual lacking. "Have faith" some say, and others, "go pray!", but I see few who acknowledge the legitimacy of one's emotions and their role in life. So what do we do?
God called Israel to lament and to mourn. He led His people to have these seasons, and we as the new Israel must do the same. Lent is a set season of lament and mourning, but there are times of intentional lamenting that take place throughout the course of our lives and it is a act we need to more fully embrace, while also not letting it drown us.
What I'm saying is that you can't always make lemonade. Sometimes you just have to drink the lemon juice.
Grace and Peace,
Stephen
The fact is that when you face tragedy or despair, sometimes you can't just "make lemonade." What is the bright side of a miscarriage? Of a family members death? Of a marriage gone up in flames? These are things that plague our lives and we struggle and fight to smile through these circumstances. Yes, God may use these to grow us and to make us better/holier, but is that reality enough to make us smile? Should it? Should we be able to look at death in the face and say "I'm happy because I know God will use this for my good!"? I'm not so sure that that is what is supposed to be our reaction to struggle.
Anger, sadness/sorrow are emotions that God gave us as gifts to understand the world around us and to process reality. Yet we so often reject these emotions as being holy and pure, writing them off as sinful or as signs of spiritual lacking. "Have faith" some say, and others, "go pray!", but I see few who acknowledge the legitimacy of one's emotions and their role in life. So what do we do?God called Israel to lament and to mourn. He led His people to have these seasons, and we as the new Israel must do the same. Lent is a set season of lament and mourning, but there are times of intentional lamenting that take place throughout the course of our lives and it is a act we need to more fully embrace, while also not letting it drown us.
What I'm saying is that you can't always make lemonade. Sometimes you just have to drink the lemon juice.
Grace and Peace,
Stephen
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