My singles ward begins at 8:00 am. For a girl, this usually means death. We have our legs to shave, our hair to wash (and don't get me started on the blow-drying!), our make-up to do and that outfit to prepare. Very rarely do I go the whole 9 yards in getting ready for church when it starts this early - I'm more of a wake up at 7:30, wash my face, throw some clothes on, and grab a bite to eat (doesn't leftover mascara count from the day before?) kinda girl. Don't get me wrong - I make sure I am presentable. :) I would just much rather sleep in that extra hour rather than look perfect!
Today however, I was already awake before my alarm went off at 7:00. Anytime I have something big to do the next day, my mind has been churning the whole night with thoughts of next day's plans - so I'm up and attem before you can say 'boo'. I didn't really have anything super huge today, but it was just something I was a little apprehensive about: singing a solo in church. It wasn't even on the radar until yesterday morning when someone from the ward called me and asked if I could fill in for a last-minute hole in the meeting's agenda. I said yes, but immediately after my heart sunk. I didn't even have an accompanist, let alone a song!
After a few calls and flipping through the hymn book, I met with a girl from the ward - Kara Palmer, the choir pianist - and we practiced "If You Could Hie To Kolob" (one of my favorite hymns). It went great. She was extremely accommodating and so good to agree to it on such short notice.
By the time I woke up this morning, I was just ready to get it over with! I normally love singing - especially in a spiritual setting - but I was not too keen on singing that early in the morning, let alone when I felt so unprepared. We had run through the song I think a total of 3 times - and when the sacrament meeting came, that was still the grand tally of practice runs. It didn't go as well as I'd hoped and truth be told, I think it was probably one of the worst performances I've done - but it turned out alright. Kara did a beautiful job accompanying and we did what we needed to. I hope that someone who needed to hear it, heard it - and that everyone else forgets it happened by tomorrow morning. :)
Later in the afternoon, I was sitting on a barstool in the kitchen talking to Robert. He looked at a pile of lemons on the counter and said, "I think I'm going to make some lemonade." He began halving lemons that had been picked from the tree out back, and pressing them on the juicer. "When life gives you lemons..." I said - and I then I smiled.
Things haven't been going exactly as planned lately - but as I held a hollow, halved lemon in my hand, I thought about what I had just said. You are supposed to make the best out of the situations you are given, why? Because if you view something optimistically or rethink your thought patterns, your outcome can actually change. The make-up of your life's skeleton might not be altered, and you certainly won't be escaping your problems - but your perspective alters your outcome by putting you in a different situation than if you had remained discouraged. You are no longer simply "dealing" with your problems - you are learning from them. You are allowing them to push you forward instead of hold you back. Your trials can either make you bitter and slow your progression, or it can thrust you forward through the pain - helping you to appreciate the good days and the blessings you do have, and helping you appreciate the trial you are given because it is an opportunity for growth.
There I am - holding that giant lemon that got me thinking. Beautiful, bright and yellow, it smells fresh and vibrant - like a new start.
"When life gives you lemons..." Shoot, forget lemonade! I'm gonna make lemon bars. :)
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