lemon squeeze

I drive through McDonald’s every day at lunch time, because their large size iced teas are currently available for a dollar.  For me, iced tea lover that I am, that’s a steal.  I don’t have to make the tea, I don’t have to brew it, I just have to show up with my debit card and tell the person on the other end of the microphone what I want. Easy peasy. And my order is always the same – a large unsweetened with three Splenda and two lemon.

It always make me smile when I order a drink with lemon at McDonald’s or any other eatery – because as far as I can tell, they simply drop the lemon wedges in and think that will do the trick. (And maybe I should be thankful for this – the less handling of my lemon by strangers the more sanitary, me thinks.)  But all you get from that maneuver is floating fruit; the flavor has not been released yet.

How does it get released?  Say it with me – you squeeze it.  And you do so pretty hard, too, to get all the juice out.

If I were the lemon, one might hear a loud “Ouch!”, “Stop it!” or “Hands off! Enough is enough already!” 

Let’s face it.  It hurts to be squeezed.  But let's also admit it; that’s when the best in us comes out.  Squeezing may not be pleasant, but it’s necessary.   It releases the good stuff, the stuff we were brought here for, the stuff that is going to liven up the drink of life and make a difference in how it tastes.  It’s not easy, and most days we’d prefer to remain comforable floating fruit.  But then we’d never get the chance to see what we’re really made of, and how our lives can make a difference.

Squeezing means growth.  It means we’re alive and well and going through something that some day down the road God will use to have us help others.  I’ve felt the pressure of a squeeze many times in my life.  Currently, my squeeze looks like a long period of waiting, as if the fingers that are nudging the goodness out of that lemon wedge just keep pressing and pressing and I really wish it was over but it’s not….

This has been one long squeeze.

Let’s turn the story to you. 

Tell me about a time when you were squeezed..... How did it feel, and what did you learn through it?  Share in the comments and let’s keep the conversation going!