Message from Yvonne Calderon, WV 5th Grade Teacher

I was walking through our neighborhood the other night on our nightly walk and I saw so many lemon trees. I heard that familiar THUD that accompanies a lemon tree. When the fruit is ripe, it falls off the tree with a loud THUD. This reminded me of Julia Bettencourt’s devotion Beneath the Lemon Tree.

We have all heard that phrase “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade”. However, we have all had a lemon drop in to our lives with a resounding THUD!

You lost your job THUD!
You lost your house THUD!
You were diagnosed with cancer THUD!
You lost a parent THUD!
Your child is ill THUD!

We have all heard the thud in our own lives so many times and we think Now what!!! What does God ask us to do? We can see many examples in the bible of how to handle tough situations.

Esther is a woman I admire. I love that she was willing to be proactive. She was will to go against the customs of the day and risk her life. It took great courage to face a situation like hers!

"...so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish." Esther 4:16.

When the lemon drops is no time to run and hide!

My favorite comes from Esther 4:14.

14 For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”

 

So, when the lemon drops and makes a resounding THUD in my life, I am going to lean on God and courageously make lemonade!