Salty Lemonade: A Refreshing Twist on the Recipe for Overcoming Adversityনমুনা

How can you develop patience in the middle of a crisis? Is it possible to remain calm and peaceful while chaos is brewing all around you? Yes, it is possible because Jesus demonstrated how to remain in peace even through a raging storm. In the book of Mark, chapter four Jesus and the disciples were in a boat on the sea when a great storm started the brew. Jesus was tired after a long day of ministry and he laid down to rest. While he was resting, the disciples were up worrying and fearful. Does that sound familiar to you? How many times have you worried over a problem and been fearful even after praying about it? At one point the disciples decided that the wind and waves were too overwhelming so they made a decision. Their decision was the sign of their wavering faith in a savior who was right in the same situation as they were. 

How many times have we been in the midst of our situation and failed to realize or acknowledge that Jesus was right there with us? If he is with us, then he is certainly having the same experience but without the anxiety, fear, and impatience. His perspective is different than ours because Jesus knows the beginning and the end of the matter. When we look at our situation from this same viewpoint it should help us to find a little more patience to endure the test. Storms don’t last forever and neither does trouble, sorrow, or crisis. 

Patience is one of the fruits of the Spirit, given to us when we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Just like any fruit, it must be cultivated and pruned in order to grow to full maturity. If we fight the pruning process, we shortcut our growth and have to start over again. Wouldn’t it be great if we just got a whole measure of patience to start with? In theory that would be nice, but then we couldn’t experience all of the other amazing gifts that come along with it. The side-effects of patience include increased faith, endurance and self-control. Spiritual maturity becomes a beautiful cocktail designed to help push us to a higher level in our walk with Christ. This level allows our “salt and light” to be felt, seen and heard in the world around us. That is the Salty Lemonade effect!

Your Day Three Challenge is to exercise your patience today in a more intentional way. Look for opportunities to use this character trait in your interaction with others such as grocery clerks, telemarketers, or even family members. Journal about today’s challenge before you go to bed. Make patience a part of your everyday Salty Lemonade recipe.