Making Lemonade

I, like many Americans, am counting the days until my current job ends and praying that there won't be any gaps in my employment.  As many of you know, I work with individuals who have a disadvantage in the job market because of their limited resources, lack of education, or criminal history.  Though their quests are similar, their stories are not.

With each case, I find that it is their own mind set that can cause them to fail or succeed.  I categorized them into 3 groups of lemonade making.

1. The prayer squeezers: rely on a higher power and take advantage of opportunities given to them, usually land on their feet.  Though this path is not without a few bumps and bruises, it is their faith that keeps them pressing on towards their goal. 
2. Squeeze it for me: feel that every glass should be squeezed for them and served on a silver tray.  After a few failed attempts, then soon find out that they must put in some work, in order to get the finished product.
3. Woe is me squeezers:  will only squeeze a few lemons before giving up.  Because they've been hit with so many lemons, they don't want to work for the lemonade.  They'd rather take yours or on squeeze a few lemons and expect to get a whole glass.

Self-pity and wallowing will get you no where.  Relying on others to do it for you may work for a little while, but there will come a day when no one else it there.  I like the prayer squeezers because they lean not to their own understanding, but trust in God to bring them out.  God makes their lemonade.  He gave them the instructions (Bible), offered them the lemons (Jesus) and pointed them in the right direction.  It was up to them to decide to read the Bible and accept Jesus in to their hearts.

If God can do it for others, He will definitely do it for you.

Lemonade fanatic!