Making the Best of a Bad Situation

When life hands you lemons, make lemonade, right? My shepherd mix, Mitch, exemplified that philosophy quite well this past weekend. In our household, Saturdays are hiking days. Mitch, ever full of energy, loves to hike, so he looks forward to the weekends with great anticipation. Two weekends ago, however, my husband’s work schedule prevented us from taking our Saturday hike which disappointed Mitch greatly. Still, he put on a happy face and showed us his love as always.

With the long holiday break this past weekend, we were certain we would be able to take both dogs out for a nice, extended hike. What we didn’t count on was the rain—the rain that lasted all day Friday, Saturday and even Sunday. Mitch, being super intelligent, knew that Jason and I were both off work. He could tell that it should have been a hike day, but he was also aware of the weather. I anticipated a fit. I expected him to spend the day pouting and howling, but he didn’t. Instead, he found great contentment as he spent the day snuggled up with my husband on the couch. While I’m sure he would have rather been hiking, he figured out how to make the best of a bad situation. In a sense, he learned to make lemonade.

As I watched his peaceful sleep in my husband’s lap, I wondered how often I make the same choice. When life hands me a lemon, am I as quick to make lemonade or do I spend my time pouting and complaining about not getting my way? When was the last time I made the best out of a bad situation?

Let’s face it, life is full of lemons. There are good days, bad days and really bad days. They are inescapable but that doesn’t mean they are unsurvivable. The truth is that they will be whatever we make of them. Mitch could have chosen to pout and fuss all day, and not only would he have been miserable, but everyone in the house would have been miserable too. We have the same choice. When things don’t go as we expect or as we hope they will, we can pout and complain—making ourselves and everyone around us miserable—or we can find a way to make the best of it. Because of his choice, my dog was able to still enjoy the day. With the proper decision, we will be able to do the same.

Life is going to throw you lemons from time to time, it’s up to you what you do with them. Lemonade, anyone?

What lemons has life recently thrown your way? In what ways can you make the best of a bad situation?

Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. – James 1:12