Making MELONade

Sweet Encouragement in a Sour World

My seventy-six-year-old Aunt Dockie has endured significant setbacks in her health. She’s had a massive stroke, fights with Emphysema, and suffered severe injuries after multiple falls. She had to learn to rely on her left hand after a stroke caused paralysis to her right. She had to learn how to walk again after breaking her femur bone. She even had to re-learn to breathe properly to get the maximum amount of oxygen into her lungs and brain. She’s one of those remarkably positive people; she has a great attitude toward life. “The secret,” Aunt Dockie said, “is that I never stop learning.” By learning how to make minor adjustments in her everyday life, she overcame the negative side effects of her injuries. 

This pandemic has really left all of us very sour. We’ve all been affected negatively – and life is uncertain. How do we navigate in a world that’s unrecognizable? And confusing? And hard? How do we live our best lives when we don’t know what to do or where to turn?

Wear your mask. Wash your hands. Social distance. New Normal. The quarantine that was supposed to last 3 weeks has gone on for 14 months. 

Social injustice. A divided country. Negativity and hatred seem to rule the land, and people just stopped being kind to one another.

Most of us are stuck in the unknown, uncertain of what’s next. Many addicts run back to their DOC (drug of choice) because, even though we know it’s terrible for us and could possibly kill us, it’s what we know. It’s all we know. So, what now? How do we forge ahead in this bitter world? We can all take a lesson from Aunt Dockie: 

Never stop learning. We can learn to live our lives a new way.

The saying goes, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” But today’s world is so muddled and difficult to navigate; it’s impossible to make lemonade when life is lobbing melons at our heads. However, if we make a slight adjustment, perhaps we can learn a new way to forge ahead. 

Switching the L and the M in lemonade gives you: MELONade. We’re still searching for peace and happiness; we’re just learning a new recipe, finding a new and improved way to live our lives.

Maybe we can find the sweeter side of life by changing the way we look at things…then the things we look at will surely change. Learning to make simple corrections in our attitudes can make a huge difference. One slight modification to speak only positive words over our lives and those around us will help squeeze out the negativity in the world.

What type of adjustments are you able to make to find an abundant life?

“Do not copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”  ~Romans 12:2 NLT

Just for fun, I’ve come up with a simple recipe for MELONade. With summer right around the corner, it’s a refreshing and delicious drink. It’s quick and easy; it’s a minor change in how we think about making lemonade.

MELONade (Makes 2 QTS)

6 C pureed Watermelon, no black seeds
3 C Water
1 C Simple syrup – See recipe below
½ C fresh lemon juice

Take watermelon, black seeds removed, and puree in a blender until smooth.
Pour 1 cup pureed watermelon into ice cube trays and freeze.
Add all ingredients, including frozen watermelon cubes, into a 2-quart pitcher, stir and enjoy!

 Simple Syrup

1 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Water

In a medium saucepan, combine sugar and water. Bring to a boil, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved. Allow cooling.