When Life Gives You Lemons
If you had the power to change any of your circumstances, would you? We all live with something that we want to be changed. Life can be hard sometimes. I know I have gone through seasons where it was hard; no, it was down-right deathly.
But, what do you do when your circumstances don’t change? You have no magic wand so to speak to make a different outcome. There is no rescue around that you can think of. No escape route. You must just go through it. Then what?
Let’s be honest we don’t like pain. But what if you have to live with it. What if your circumstance is one that only God can change and He doesn’t seem to be moving too fast on your time table?
What if what you are going through is a test by God? What if it is a growing season for you, a time of stretching? A time to reshape who you are? A time to let God be God? A time to develop your dreams?
3 promises to remember when life gives you lemonade… Click To TweetMy friend, I have news for you—it is all that and more!
Oh, do we like comfort. We do not want to go through more than we have to. But the reality is we must learn to live with some of our difficult circumstances because only God has the power to alter them—and in His providence, He’s allowed them to remain.
Sometimes, our best-laid plans don’t come to pass the way we think. We have planned our life a certain way we thought we would be best but we didn’t anticipate the route God would use to bring us to the place He has for us.
My Difficult Circumstances
I went through an unwanted divorce. I didn’t plan for that. I didn’t want that. But God, in His wisdom, allowed it to happen and all the people involved He allowed them to hurt me. Was that His best plan for me? No.
But, in the pain, a lot of times is where we find our greatest healing. It’s in those times we discover our greatest strength and reward.
Related Post: How Uncomfortable Are You Willing To Get For Your Healing?
As I went through an extremely painful, unwanted divorce, it showed me a part of me I didn’t know existed. The pain of the divorce, depression, and loss brought gifts and talents I had to the surface. It changed my worldview of people and pain that we as women suffer. It taught me compassion for those like me that most people will never know or feel.
Sometimes you have to crush a flower to smell the fragrance. I was crushed. But that crushing brought forth an aroma of my life that is here to stay. An aroma that is drawing for other women in pain to heal.
Sometimes you have to crush a flower to smell the fragrance. Click To TweetAre you going through a crushing now? Are you at the breaking point of pain and want God to change your circumstance? I am here to tell you that you can make it through your dark night season. It won’t kill you. You will just feel like it is.
3 Promises to Remember When Life Gives You Lemonade
Here are three things to remember when you can’t see your circumstance changing:
1.) God is near to the brokenhearted.
God will never leave you nor forsake you. No matter what you are facing. When I as in the darkest pit of depression from a husband that walked out on me and my sons, I knew God never left. It felt like it, but I knew He didn’t.
The Scripture says that He is near to the brokenhearted. But, there were times I felt that verse should have said He is near to the cremated heart and life. I would run to my master bedroom closet and lay in the floor for hours on end holding my pillow wet with tears. I would lay there screaming in pain and fall asleep wondering if he was near only to be awaken by His presence so near I could feel His breath on my face. I knew that He was with me in that closet even if I had to run there a million times in anger, hurt, and panic. He was near to my broken heart.
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
Psalm 34:18 NIV
2.) God is good.
This is so true or me and for you. God is good. No matter what your circumstance looks like, no matter how bad it gets, no matter the loss, God is good. He isn’t good, then bad, then good again. He is forever good all the time. If you are in Him (and you are because the word says you are) then you are in a good place.
Just because something bad is allowed to happen to you doesn’t mean that God is not a good God. Trust in His goodness towards you and never let it go. I had to tell the enemy many times, in that same closet, “this doesn’t feel good but I know you are good”. You can let no other thought fill your heart about God.
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever.
Psalm 136:1
3.) God is faithful.
One thing you must make sure you hold to and never forget is the faithfulness of God. His word is true. No matter what the circumstance looks like, God is faithful to you and to His word. The bible says that He watches over His word to perform it. God will not let His Word fail. Not a jot or a tittle. Whatever those are. My point is, God is a faithful God.
The entire time I was in a dark season, I never went without food, clothes, car, a word of encouragement, strength, love, and more. His faithfulness to provide some of the smallest unimportant things was given to me. He cared for me. He was faithful to listen to me in my darkest place. He was faithful to rescue me from trouble bills, sickness and car trouble. He was faithful.
God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
1 Corinthians 1:9
Living for Jesus When Life Gives You Lemons
Your circumstance may seem unfair and unjust. It may be a misfortune that has come your way. If you let God use it for His glory and you walk out the pain, even if you don’t see it changing, you will be rewarded.
I was rewarded in more ways than I can name in this article. I obtained more gain for my pain. I became something I never would have had not the circumstance been allowed to touch my life. I look back now and I am so glad God didn’t rescue me quickly and take me out of my situation.
Through walking out my pain, I became the author I dreamed about. I wrote two books with many more on the way. Through that circumstance that wasn’t changing the way I thought, through the detour it looked like God was taking me, I finished Bible school with a doctorate. I got a job at my church and I now coach women to wholeness and through unforgiveness to healing in their souls. Through that pain, I walked out of depression and anger and bitterness.
I learned that God never changes. He is faithful. He is just.
From My Life to Yours
What looks like your worst problem, your worst circumstance, can transform into your biggest blessing. Your circumstance could be God’s ordained path for your life with a twist at the end. God will use every circumstance we go through if we belong to Him. Every problem will accomplish His will and plan.
Let Christ be exalted in you even if you don’t see any change in your current problem.
So, to answer the question I asked you at the beginning, would I change my circumstance if I could? No. Because walking through a wilderness, walking through an impossible circumstance, living with a broken heart, became the best thing that happened to me.
Join The Conversation
When life gives you lemons, how do you handle it? Have you seen any blessings come from difficult circumstances, or are you going through something we can pray with you about? Let us know in the comments below.
Could your worst circumstance become your biggest blessing? Click To TweetIf you are tired, weary, and just plain need a miracle bigger than you could imagine, pick up a copy of Stephanie’s book, Tomorrow Is Not Promised. In it, she takes readers on a journey with the Holy Spirit from a place of pain to a deeply intimate relationship with Him. Pick up a copy today to learn how God will breakthrough your darkness and bring healing to your soul. Available on Amazon.
Thank you so much for sharing your story, Stephanie! Looking back I have seen the same to be true in my life. Some of my worst experiences have helped me to grow my faith and I am a better person because of them. However, that’s only true because of Jesus.
Heather, your welcome. Thanks for the opportunity to pull back the curtain and share a bit more of my story. Everytime another piece is shared, like a piece of pie or cake, there will eventually be none left. If that makes sense. I hope to get to that point one day. Totally healed until then, I keep sharing. Love ya
Blessed to read this piece when am going through the most difficult time of my life. Going through monumental financial problems to the extent that I can not pay fees for my daughters. Please pray for me to get over this situation
Patrick
I’m so sorry for your struggle. Be encouraged because God is on your side. He doesn’t waste a trouble or hurt a tear or a problem. Your biggest problem is your greatest blessing this is just a trial whatever it is you’re going through it’s just a test and when God sees that you’ve passed it when you come out on the other side and you will because he is for you this will be your biggest testimony. God has not left you he sees every itty bitty detail of your situation but he knows every need. He is not broke he is not defeated and he is not an uncaring father. Trust him for every provision. I leave you with this one question ask yourself what is it that God is trying to do in me that he couldn’t do before if I had not had this problem in my life. What is he trying to be to you and for you that is what’s really going on. I’ll be praying for you. God is your provider.
and then there’s where God says – “I will never leave you nor forsake you”….
Yes……He will never ever leave us. God is so faithful. And he loves us all so much.
Thanks for sharing your story! It is tough, but seasons of suffering are inevitable. We can’t be “good enough” to avoid them, pain does not discriminate. I’m holding on to the three truths you shared in this season of suffering like it’s a lifeline! I am believing prophetically that my worst circumstance right now will be my biggest victory; that I’ll see God do something I would not otherwise believe if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes! He doesn’t want to bring us to shame, He wants to restore us! I’m believing in restoration in Jesus’ Name.
Maria
That is wonderful news.. yes keep believing in restoration, for He is the God of restoration to us all. I am believing for that too. Not sure what it will look like but I know it will be for my good.
So true so true! Christ came for the broken hearted and the sick! We have a God who comforts us! I know this by personal experience time and time again!
Grace I love your name.. that is the message of my life… grace. Yes He is near to the broken hearted and the sick. Wonderful Jesus.
What a beautiful description of what you’ve been through and how God is using it — a crushed flower that is now giving off an aroma. May you continue to lean into God’s promises and encourage others going through the same thing.
thank you Kristi it was a journey of crushing but so glad I can look back and say thank you for hurting me….i would never have Jesus in the way I have him now had I not gone through that much pain.
I love that we have a God who works everything for our good! His plans are always better than ours.
Yes His plans are better
This is so beautiful. Something I’ve learned through pain as well. Bless you!
My grandmother was a proud lady. She was a hard working farmers wife and loved Her Lord almost as much as he loved her. The one thing she said that no matter what we faced, no matter where we were make lemonade out of lemons and grow where we are planted. So I have tried to do just that and teach my children to do so as well.
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Stephanie, thank you so much for being vulnerable and sharing your pain with others so that the Lord can bring much-needed healing to their hearts. I, too, share my own story for the broken-hearted. Thanks for linking up with Grace and Truth this week.
Aimee
Thank u Jesus is truly our healer
Straight from the heart.
Thanks so much for the Encouragement. God bless you always. I truly needed this. Your words were tremendously inspiring in time of need.??.
Tracey
You are more than welcome. So glad the blog found you. I pray you get more help and comfort of God in whatever situation you are facing. God is with you my sister and you will come through this. Feel free to reach out anytime. I have a facebook group called Grace to Live Coaching and you can email me at [email protected] anytime My website is stephaniemcarter.com sign up for my newsletter Tapestry and get a free teaching on The Power of Grace. Blessings sister.
I was brought up in a Christian home, I have known God my whole life. Yet I have not always walked with Him. This last few years have been incredibly hard, ups and downs, many if not all I caused upon myself. Suddenly I woke up and realized that I was destroying my life and that of my boys, and those I love. I have been seeking God fiercely the last few months, stepped away from the things that were causing me emotional and spiritual harm. To make a long story short. I been asking God, the Holy Spirit to let me know it’s His voice I’m hearing. Yesterday I received a promise from God and a message to stay still. He has everything under his control. I believe in God, I have faith in Him. In our Lord Jesus, but these doubts and fears keep penetrating within me. When I don’t get the response I want I start doubting again. Please pray for me – that God Almighty removes those fears those doubts from within me. That I learn to trust and have faith in Him wholeheartedly. I came upon this reading because God gave me the word Lemons while praying today.
Thank you Lord for this reading, for this woman of God that You have allowed to minister to my heart. Thank you
Eunice,
I loved your comment. Keep strong sister. I am here for you in any way I can to help you. God is with you. Love you sister… if anything I can help you with please let me know,. I have a Facebook group and teachable site with resources as well as life empowerment coaching. God has a great purpose for you.
Stephanie Carter