Thursday, April 11, 2013

Lemons and Moons

          The current, and perhaps overused axiom is "When life hands you lemons, make lemonade."  it seemed really clever when I first heard it; now it seems like a tiresome cliche, a pat answer that ignores hardship and pain.  Still, there is a residue of inspiration in it.
          It is not a new thought to see misfortune through a lens that opposes self-pity.  The 17th century Japanese poet, Mizuta Masahide said, "Barn's burned down, now I can see the moon." 
          Christians have the comfort of knowing that God can use any circumstance, no matter how horrible, unjust or painful for our benefit.  Who else in the world has this assurance?  How often have you heard someone say that it was in the darkest hour of their life that they finally turned to God and found peace and hope and purpose and joy?
          This refreshing perspective is surely one of the ways God transforms our thinking.  How desperately we all need a new way to view a fallen world.

Romans 12:2
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

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