The Lord's Lemonade.

We've all heard the saying "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade."   A timeless metaphor that has inspired many stories of triumph over seemingly insurmountable trials in peoples lives.  At one point or another we have all faced these kinds of moments and challenges.  Where all of a sudden the apple cart is upset and all that we know or do or have is gone.  It can be familial, personal, financial, job related, health problems or a myriad of other issues.  Nobody is immune to a full extent. When economic times are good the impact is palpable.  But when we are slogging through the toughest time since the Great Depression, the results can be catastrophic.  I call these moments or periods of life "It" moments.  Short for, it will make you or break you.  Yours truly just came out of a big one.
   What I'm about to tell you is not meant to garner "atta" boys or sympathy.  It is meant for your encouragement. Just because I am a Christian doesn't mean I have bulletproof armor for life's attacks. You see the past three and half years have been the toughest period for me personally in my life.  I have been challenged in numerous ways.  But if you had told me that this is where my life would be at this point, I would have laughed uproariously in your face.  Not me, no how, no sir!  Well yes me, yes how and yes sir!    When the recession hit in 2007 I had been enjoying a solid career rebound since I had to close my dream restaurant in 2001.  I had always been highly successful in real estate as both a salesman and manager.  Business was great and I had felt that the Lord was smiling on me again.  It was a personal and business renaissance well deserved.  We moved into a beautiful new home in NW Wisconsin and our lives seemed to settle down to my career ambitions,  raising our family and my wife's ministry work.  All was bliss, or so we thought.  Then the proverbial rug got pulled out from underneath us.  The obvious fallout from the real estate sector was catastrophic.  I lost 75% of my income in the first year and it has never returned.  Being commission based, you can just watch the news to understand where that money has gone.  We had always prepared for a rainy day so we weren't worried, just not a rainy lifestyle.  The recession has carved up my retirement accounts, my savings, my stocks and many possessions which had to go.  I couldn't keep up on the mortgage, my health insurance, my daughters school tuition's.  Bill piles get awful large when you can't pay them.  By God's grace and the best family ever we have survived this long.  I have cried, anguished, pounded the table and asked why me?  I'm 51 Lord, I can't add anymore wax to my candle!  Haven't we been through enough?  Well apparently not.  You see, I had always enjoyed a drink or two.  But the stress of our situation left me to walk away from my precious Lord's sovereign guidance and become an escape artist.  I knew that as a Christian it was important for me to live as Christ.  To influence others for Him meant I had to not live in hypocrisy. Long story short my drinking was out of hand.  In my haste to escape my pain, I ran headlong into another worldly trap.  I was an alcoholic too.
   God had carried me too many times at different stages of my life.  Sound familiar?  His grace and mercy rescued me more times than I deserved.  Yet He rescued anyway.  This time He shouted at me.  He was mad!  He wouldn't be mocked anymore.  On January 15th, 2010 I got sicker than I had ever been. I prayed and prayed for more mercy.   For the next 3 weeks I was in pain, with fever, joints aching and God talking to me the whole time.  He flat out delivered me from my addiction and with it a stern rebuke not to touch alcohol again.  I have not had a drink since or the desire to do so.  You may call it what you may.  I'll call it a miracle, thank you!    That behind us, we still had to deal with the hard times we were in.  But there was new found peace in my journey.  I had new faith, new hope and new strength.  Jesus has reminded me that I could do all things through Him who strengthens me.  I had new eyes to see Him.  A new heart to receive Him.  And now a new passion to tell about Him.  It did not exempt us from our economic hardship.  We still struggled financially, but my family strengthened,  and my faith got stronger.  My wife and children had their dad back.  God knew perfectly He had to get me strong again and get my voice back for Him because on May 20th this past spring He called my dad home.  That alone is traumatic.  But with everything else that has happened to us I wouldn't have gotten through it without His restoration of me. In His infinite wisdom, He dealt with me so I could be an effective witness again to my family in this time of great sorrow.  He knew this.  So He fixed me.  I can see Him now much better.  My joy is sustainable.  My peace is deep.  I can be an encourager, because I have been encouraged.    God took me into His kitchen and showed me how He makes the best lemonade.  Stop by my stand and have a taste!  You'll come back for more I'm sure. I'll even give you His recipe!


John 16:33  I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”