Life Gives You Lemons Verses Was Written by Kim C. Steadman
I know you’ve heard the quote and as soon as you read the title, you mentally completed the phrase. When life gives you lemons, “make lemonade.”
In fact, my husband gave the same response when I talked to him about this topic. However, during a recent documentary I watched after our horrific winter event here in Texas (Snovid21) I realized I was prone to first do a preliminary step before “making the lemonade.”
The documentary piece was about how a popular lemon brand goes about growing, harvesting and selling their lemons. I learned there were multiple types of lemons graded according to specific size and color expectations.
Lemons Come In Different Sizes, Shapes, & Colors
Lemons aren’t just yellow.
The lemon’s yellow is graded on how much green is visible on the skin. The employees sorting the lemons at the harvest factory sort the lemons on the various factors of size, shape, and the color of the peel.
A lemon wasn’t just a lemon. Workers graded, evaluated and sorted them for the various uses such as produce for consumers or squeezing for lemon juice concentrate.
Here in Texas, Winter Storm Uri pummeled the state. It’s the snow weather system that knocked out the power grid for the entire state. During this frightful and cold event, I had to draw upon every ounce of “when life gives you lemons” spiritual lessons I could remember.
5 Life Gives You Lemons Verses
1.) Through The Valley When Life Gives You Lemons
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
Psalm 23:4, WEB
I don’t know when Life Lemons will show up. Unforeseen doesn’t have a parade with the Grand Puba Lemon arriving on the last float.
My mother’s sudden stroke in 2012, or our son’s attempt to take his life in 2014, blasted our family with no warning.
When our recent weather event happened, I had a casual attitude.
Weather reports aren’t always correct, right?
Suddenly the series of events were like a crumbling trail of dominoes. Each tumbled into the one in front and knocked us off and out of our comfort zone. Extreme low temperatures, which led to a power outage resulting in no heat. Then our well froze, which left us with no water or indoor sanitation. Plus the roads were impassable, and we only had three gallons of bottled water and not very many non-perishable foods which we could eat without cooking.
My frustration mounted. I shook my head in disbelief. “What next, Lord? What else can happen?”
Psalm 23:4 is a Life Gives You Lemons Verse
By Day Three, I decided I better change my frustrated prayer because I thought maybe the Lord was showing me just what else could happen.
5 Life Gives You Lemons Verses… Because God Made Lemons, Too. Click To TweetThe morning we woke up to 43 degrees in our house and it was 0 outside was a broken moment for me. I cried in frustration and fear.
At the moment, one Scripture gave me hope. Psalm 23:4 talks about walking through the valley. I held to the promise that even though I couldn’t see the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel, the light was there. He didn’t intend for me to camp in these uncomfortable conditions forever. He would walk through it with me.
2.) Gratitude Matters… Even When Life Gives You Lemons
Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice.
Psalm 51:8
The aforementioned morning was my emotional down day. That morning came after a sleepless night battling a stomach bug, tired and cold and physically broken. I truly think I didn’t have a positive bone or muscle in my body.
As I went through the day, I remembered I hadn’t mentally done my gratitude list since losing power on Sunday. Having a mental moment of thinking about life’s golden moments every day helps me find joy and gladness.
The first part of Psalm 51:8 has resonated with me through the years, instructing me to attempt to hear the joy and gladness. It may not happen naturally. It takes practice and I’m not perfect. Often I mess up.
This morning, it was my precious husband who helped me get over my hurdle. He reminded me we weren’t in this alone, there were others suffering just like we were.
What is it about finding comfort in numbers?
But it’s true.
Psalm 51:8 is a Life Gives You Lemon Verse
That’s why support groups are so helpful. We had a roof over our heads and highly insulated walls. While we never got below 40 in our home, we heard about other friends and family who had freezing temperatures inside their dwellings.
We moved ourselves next door to be with my parents under one roof, so I could monitor them and combine all resources under one roof. As I gathered the items we needed, such as blankets and candles, I gratefully thanked God that we had some supplies we needed.
3.) God is a Refuge… Even When Life Gives You Lemons
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Psalm 46:1, WEB
Lemon harvest occurs three to five years after saplings are planted.
The growers plan on this.
Some lemons in life do come with a warning. Our particular extreme weather event came with warnings, we just didn’t fully heed to them. The local news weather reports talked about it for a week.
However, during the pandemic and the political season, I had quit watching the news.
I let my apps on my phone inform me of the expected weather for the day or week. It taught me that for myself, I need to hear a talking head. I need to hear the concern in their voice rather than little tiles and words on a weather app.
Despite my lack of planning, some calamity was unexpected.
Who would have ever imagined an entire state would lose power or all major and minor roads considered impassable?
A hotel was out of the question since the Texas roads were under a light layer of ice and snow and they didn’t have power either. Besides, we would not leave our dogs to fend for themselves.
Psalm 46:1 is a Life Gives You Lemons Verse
Psalm 46:1 speaks to this, and I found comfort in this scripture. God was my refuge and a present help. Somehow, despite the cold, I found peace with Him. As I trusted Him more and leaned on His strength, I could sleep soundly each night.
4.) God Will Make a Way… Even When Life Gives You Lemons
If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that give the to all men liberally.
James 1:5a, KJV
If you grow any type of tree, flower or some bushes, there comes the harsh reality of needing to prune the tree. But you can’t do this all willy-nilly.
There’s a method to the madness of pruning.
Good twigs or limbs must be sacrificed for the betterment of the entire plant. A wise farmer makes the sacrifice.
For our recent weather event, I lacked a lot of wisdom or had stress-induced mental blocks. There were times I prayed “God, give us wisdom” or “God, please make a way.”
And you know what? He did.
James 1:5 is a Life Gives You Lemons Verse
Someone texted me a picture of a makeshift “fireplace” I could make with a candle and a flower pot. It worked! It warmed the corner of the room where my dad had taken up camp.
We gathered and melted snow to use as water for hygiene and in a pinch to make some warm tea or coffee.
During a brief time I had a cell signal, I posted it on social media.
God made a way and a friend with all-wheel drive could make it down our street with her trunk full of gallons of water she filled at her house. During this event, and others in my life, I can truly testify that during my lemons-days, whether small or large, God has shown up. Sometimes instantly. Sometimes later. Often through the actions of another.
5.) Life Will Give You Lemons
My friends, be glad, even if you have a lot of trouble.
James 1:2, CEV
I constantly remind myself that even though I am a daughter of God, I am not immune to bad things happening.
If Christians weren’t to expect hardships, then why would God give us Scriptures to give us guidance about how to deal with them?
James 1:2-4 is a lengthy reading. My biggest comfort comes from the word “even” or “when” in some translations. Even if it comes…
James 1:2-4 are Life Gives You Lemons Verses
The saying repeated by the old-timers stands true today. “Life is a rose-garden. But, even roses have thorns.”
Thorns and lemons will come.
Yes, life will hand me a basket full of lemons.
Life is messy.
I remind myself that the only time life will be perfect and free of any ups, downs, or lemons is when I’ve made it to my heavenly home. I find comfort in that expectation.
Making Lemonade When Life Gives You Lemons
Oh, by the way. I made lemonade out of my lemons.
Determined not to be so ill-prepared again, I self-published a suburban survival workbook full of checklists and inventory sheets. Now I have a list of all we have stored in our crisis corner and all our important information in one place.
How Has Life Given You Lemons Recently?
Join the conversation in the comments below. Do you have any life gives you lemons verses or trials you want to share? We’d love to hear from you!
How has life given you lemons recently? Click To TweetAbout the Author
Kim C. Steadman was born in the ’60’s. As a child she lived on cartoons, grilled cheese, riding her bike and reading books.
When she was a little girl, her little bookcase served as the library for her line-up of parts, her dolls and stuffed animals. Her quiet audience attentively sat with her as she explored the fantastical worlds contained between the pages. It was through books she developed a life-long love of furry and winged creatures, both real and imaginative.
She and her husband now live on the family property. Their two fur-children, Zak (Grumpy Dog) and Denver, run the show. Kim writes inspirational non-fiction and children’s stories.
Visit Kim at www.KimSteadman.com
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