Lemonade

Indeed it was for my own peace that I had great bitterness.

Isaiah 38:17

The financial panic of 1907 started with a run on the Knickerbocker Trust Company of New York that exhausted the bank’s reserves in a day and a half. In a matter of weeks, the panic had spread across the country, and banks everywhere closed. According to legend, one family was especially hard hit. Their investments and business enterprises foundered, and their dreams for the future evaporated. But they were resourceful, for they had two assets they could still use. The first was the mother’s cooking skills, and the second was an old adobe building near the train station.

And so, the Hilton family opened their first hotel.

There’s an old saying that if life hands you a lemon, make lemonade. Problems bring possibilities to us that would not have otherwise occurred, and it’s important to prayerfully consider how we can turn liabilities into assets.

In Isaiah 38, King Hezekiah suffered a debilitating illness, but by the end of the story, much good had come from it, including an extension of his life and a song of praise. If you’re suffering through bitterness and pain now, remember that God has promised to work all things together for good to those who love Him (Romans 8:28). Look ahead in hope, and look around in resourcefulness. Make some lemonade.

Our greatest lessons come out of pain.

RICK WARREN