What I Learned....when life gives you lemons....

Hi.

It's been a trying February. Honestly, I don't remember a more trying February outside of the one when my grandma passed about 11 years ago. My heart had almost completely healed from that pain, until I experienced another painful February this year.

You know that saying "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade"? Well, sometimes, when life gives you lemons, you just have to accept them for what they are - lemons. Sometimes, you can't make lemonade, and sometimes you don't want to. Sometimes you just want to hold the lemons and appreciate them for what they are. Sometimes you just want to hold the lemons and as painful and sour as they may be, you want to just feel the weight, observe the texture and just let the lemons be. 

The truth is, sometimes pain is just that - pain. And we would be crazy to pretend it didn't exist or always try to "make the best of a bad situation". That's not to say that we wallow in our pain, act out in our pain, or hurt others in our pain. But it is to say that sometimes it's good just to feel the pain, appreciate it for what it is and allow the Father to heal us in our pain.

One misconception is that Christians never get sad. That's further from the truth. We do. It's an emotion that God gave us, and rightfully so. Pain makes us sad, and in our sadness, we realize our frailty and just how mighty our Father in Heaven is. He  is the one who hears and heals. He is the one who is strong in our weakness. Oh yes, He uses our pain to help us understand just how powerful He is - in case we in our busy lives slip up and forget.

Now, don't get sadness and depression mixed up. He never created us to be depressed. Depression denotes lack of joy. And for a believer, joy is something that the world can't take away because the joy of the Lord is our strength. Even the psalmist said:

Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. (Whole Psalm here)

Even here, the psalmist questions himself - WHY is he depressed? Then he constantly reminds himself who his Rock is. So, sad yes...depressed, never.

Oh where am I going with this?....I got off track.  Oh yes! So, I encourage you - if you are experiencing pain, don't be afraid to "steal away" and confront it. Lay your concerns down before the One Who cares - He hears you. He wants to heal you both spiritually and in the natural where you need it. If Christ knows you, you have no reason to be depressed and don't stay in your sadness too long. He promises joy for your mourning. Take that free gift!

I have had my bouts the last few weeks, but slowly things are getting better and more and more I realize just how powerful my God is. He's mine, and I'm so glad about it. I'm His child and it is His joy to see me smile again....

What I learned lately: appreciate the sourness of lemons because without it, you really can't appreciate the strength of God.