When given LEMONS….
The average lemon contains eight seeds and three tablespoons of juice. The lifespan of a lemon tree is approximately 50 years, but they can live to be 100 with proper care. A single lemon tree produces an average of 600 pounds of fruit per year.
Lemons were the first fruits to arrive in the Mediterranean around the time of Jesus.
Lemonade, lemon in cooked figs, lemon in ice tea, lemon for my fish! Lemon to clean my fridge! Lemon to give flavor to my treats! Lemons like folks are everywhere. Sweet folks, sour folks, useful folks and often lemon mishaps.
When we can’t make lemonade what must we do? Turn to the One that has the power to sweeten your attitude. Change your circumstances and increase your fruit! He stands at our Heart’s door waiting for us.
“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. (John 10:10)
The Easter Story of Bunnies, colored eggs and candy are here among us and for our delight. Also, the “One” (not Amazon) that delivered our abundant joy is the “Light of the world”! His name is Jesus! His mode of transportation was a walk carrying a cross where it became his home for a day that lead to a grave.
After three days He delivered the ultimate abounding fullness of joy and strength for our spirit, soul and body by His Resurrected Life!
thedailylily.com 
Looking at your lemon pictures and reading all your inspired words, one thing that really stood out was how you wasted nothing with a lemon. You used every part… every part of one lemon that may seem small and insignificant to someone else who cannot see, receive, and appreciate the value of each small part like you have illustrated here.
Just like Jesus could expound a world-view and a vast lesson using a mustard seed, your ‘lemon’ now became for this reader multi-faceted. A history lesson; an agricultural learning tool and project; a recipe book; eco-friendly advice; artwork; an anthropological study; the Gospel story; a behavioral intervention; and probably much more that this reader has not yet seen.
Debi writes, “every part of one lemon that may seem small and insignificant to someone else who cannot see, receive, and appreciate the value of each small part…”
To me a small part is often the hardest part. A small helping of Banana pudding is emotionally wearing on my appetite just because my palate loves it a bit too much.
When it comes to humans and loving one another as Jesus loves us seems simple to read. When I see a child misbehaving according to my standards hum what goes off in my brain? Fireworks! Well, let me be honest, if it’s my child or grand seems I’m a bit more tolerant! Or, better yet, if it’s my job and I’m being paid even easier to do a small thing. But, if it’s the kid running through the church and disrupting my free time I’m a bit more perturbed.
How does my small part unite the body of Christ as one? How do I in enjoying my small helping of banana pudding if I take a smaller portion (decrease me like John the Baptist) giving portions to serve others and unite us as one.
How does my reaching out with a hug or taking a moment to color in the kids tattered coloring book calm the child and bring the child and parents to join the whole.
Love and kindness breeds gratitude. And gratitude and praise increases love and love gives the spotlight to the One that gives us all love? Why? Because God is love. (John 4:7,8)
My goal is to be a part of unity as we grow not only in number, which is good, but stronger in faith, love, peace, hope and abundance more.
After reading the above blog, I got inspired, as a nurse, to check out some possible health benefits of lemons. I found this on health line.com. 6 evidence based health benefits of lemons: 1) support heart health-Lemons are a good source of vitamin C. Research shows that eating fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin C reduces your risk of heart disease and stroke.
2) helps control weight-One common theory is that soluble pectin fiber found in lemons expand your stomach helping you feel full for longer.
3) prevent kidney stones- citric acid may help prevent kidney stones by increasing urine volume and increasing urine pH, creating a list favorable environment for kidney stone formation.
4) protects against anemia- Lemons contain some iron but they primarily prevent anemia by improving your absorption of iron from plant foods.
5) reduce cancer risk – A healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables may help prevent some cancers.
6) improve digestive health- The main fiber in lemons is pectin, a form of soluble fiber linked to multiple health benefits.
I thought these were some interesting health benefits of having lemons in our diet. 🍋 🍋 🍋
Then I began to think of the benefits of having Christ as our Savior. ✝️ While, there is no way to name them all here, the one Scripture that came to mind was John 3:16…(NIV)
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Look 👀 👀 👀 “Eternal Life” is waiting for all who believes in Him!
Tammy, I really enjoyed your health suggestions from a Lemon! 🍋 And, you, a nurse that has made a career of caring for health for others give a ring to preventive care as well as healing care.
I want to add as I thought about your connection to the health of a lemon I was reminded by way of google of its 🍋 many benefits of cleaning your home and other. So small in size but big in use!
And, you show great skill in your analogy of introducing us to The One that is the Healer, (1Peter 2:24) by His stripes leading to the Cross, we are healed! (Isaiah 53:5) Often a cleaning of our guilt and sins lead to peace, and He, Jesus is the peace giver. (John 14:27) And, the ultimate to all of life, Jesus is the giver of Eteral life. (John 3:16)
What better time than lent, Palm Sunday, Good Friday and Easter, Resurrection day to pause, pray, meditate and spend quality time with others in sharing good news by encouraging one another in Truth, love for one another because Jesus Himself is Love.
Terrible news in our nation and world of which I will not name here because it’s talked and told wherever we turn it seems. Yet, as nurse Tammy just spoke up and what she did for us is fulfill the words we probably all know well, when given lemons make lemonade. 🍋🍋🍋
As I read the words of Anne Lamott in my COC devotion this am I was reminded of nurse Tammy’s “lemonade” words of healing and eternal life. I hope you if you are searching for peace, hope and love will read along with us as we search together here. If you find yourself in a place like writer Anne Lamott, or just lost a love one, maybe an illness, whatever you need help with will rejoice in the way, time, condition and place you can find the Healer, the Peacemaker, Eternal Life and the benefits for our good is limitless. It’s Jesus meets you right where you are.
“Writer Anne Lamott chronicles her surprising conversion to Christianity while addicted to drugs and alcohol:
When I went back to church, I was so hungover that I couldn’t stand up for the songs…. The last song was so deep and raw and pure that I could not escape. It was as if the people were singing in between the notes, weeping and joyful at the same time, and I felt like their voices or something was rocking me in its bosom, holding me like a scared kid, and I opened up to that feeling—and it washed over me.
I began to cry and left before the benediction, and I raced home and … walked down the dock past dozens of potted flowers, under a sky as blue as one of God’s own dreams, and I opened the door to my houseboat, and I stood there a minute, and then I hung my head and said, “[Forget] it: I quit.” I took a long deep breath and said out loud, “All right. You can come in.”
So this was my beautiful moment of conversion.
And here in dust and dirt, O here
The lilies of his love appear.
Lamott reflects on praying from the place of desperation and surrender:” Center for Action and Contemplation, NM