Lemonade

I love the saying: If Life Gives You Lemons Make Lemonade
A few years ago I taught a Relief Society lesson using that analogy.  Studying that lesson made me realize that even in the worst of times there is hope that things will get better.

Life is not always easy. There are many bumps along the way. Things happen to us that we have no control over and it can be very, very hard, but we do the best we can, dust ourselves off and get right back up again. Why? Because we need to in order to survive and be happy in this life.  A friend of mine always tells me "If you hadn't experienced the things you did, you wouldn't be the person you are today."  I always think about that when I am feeling down.

Life can change so quickly. Just one phone call can alter your life forever. I have never appreciated it when people say, "It could be worse." I don't like that philosophy because whatever trial you are experiencing is valuable, and should not be discounted. We minimize the experience when we say that. It is not easy to embrace the trial, but most healthy minded people eventually do. We are wired to survive, so we find ways to not just make the best of the situation, but to make it our finest hour.

I know, like most people, I spend a lot of time worrying about what might happen.  Earth life is tricky, it is filled with all kinds of road blocks, problems and obstacles. And it could be tempting to think the odds are too great and simply give up. When we hear the news, it is all bad. But there are a lot of great things happening out there as well, they just don't get the press like the bad things.

President Dieter Uchtdorf said, "Hope has the power to fill our lives with happiness".

I believe that. I know that when one person refuses to see a half empty glass they inspire the next person, and the next and the next. That is what hope is.

So... If Life gives you lemons.....