I am sure you have heard the phrase, “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade” right? Well, it’s true … in so many instances. Take job hunting for example. You could be looking and looking for hours on end for the perfect job … one that will suit you to a tee … the perfect balance of excitement so you don’t get bored, downtime so you don’t get overwhelmed, great pay so you can pay your bills, and location so you don’t get exhausted from the trip before you even arrive! Unfortunately, even after all your searching the endless job postings, it appears there is “nothing” out there. Well, obviously that’s not true. In reality, there are jobs out there … just nothing that you were willing to do. 

Willing is the key word. If someone were desperate enough, they just may be willing to do almost anything … even a job they might not consider “perfect.” When someone chooses to be willing, everything changes.

It’s like a light bulb moment. All of a sudden, you could be looking at a job posting and think, “I could do that.” Then, once that thought starts to take root hope begins to form.  It’s like a window opens to new possibilities.  You start to realize, I’ve seen a lot of these postings recently … this is a high demand job … this is what’s available out there right now … and then the thought comes again … I could do that.”

At that point, your creativity may start to chime in. You may think, this isn’t what I was wanting to do but this is what’s available. Am I going to take it? Am I going to take what’s been made available to me and make the best of it … maybe even get creative and see if I can make it into something great? 

You may realize the job has all the major elements you were looking for … just in a different package from what you were expecting. You may realize you have to make a choice: Do I want to be frustrated, or do I want to be flexible? Do I want to take these “lemons” and make “lemonade?”

They also say “necessity is the mother of invention.” If someone didn’t have something they needed while cooking, for example, they may try something they did have on hand … and, without realizing it, they may inadvertently have come up with a new “invention” that tasted far better than the original.

So, today, are you choosing to make lemonade out of the lemons life has thrown at you? Be encouraged to know that you are not alone,  Jesus has said,  “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 (NIV)