Two pies from which to choose—coconut cream and lemon meringue—so it’s a good thing the dinner had been spectacular because eight out of ten people wanted lemon, and the slices were small.  Isn’t it amazing how delicious a lemon can taste when a little bit (or a lot!) of sugar is added in?  Lemonade, lemon-drop candies, lemon cakes/icing/fillings/bars.  Yummmmmm!!!

And even if one stays away from sugar, there’s lemon chicken, lemon juice on seafood, lemon slices in water, unsweetened lemon tea, and on and on…

Or just think of the many other uses—lemon wax, lemon scents, lemon as a hair lightener, lemons as a garbage disposal freshener or stain remover, and once again on and on…

But all by itself, as good as it may look or smell a lemon is sour.  Unless you’re one of the rare people who love them as-is, sucking a lemon will set your teeth on edge and make you cringe—almost as bad as fingernails on a chalkboard.

I’m sure we’ve all heard someone’s sage advice, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade”—perhaps a parent trying to teach us to stop complaining and make something good out of a bad situation.  But when I hear that phrase I think of our LORD, for He’s the best lemonade maker I know.  He takes broken lives and turns them around and He brings triumph out of tragedy.  When we belong to Him, life can be sweet indeed!

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.  Romans 8:28