Crystal Writes A Blog

Prompt Response: You Make the Lemonade

What’s the best advice you’d give to someone younger than you?

Sometimes, I think people have the idea that getting lemonade from the lemons in life simply means looking for the good in the bad. That’s my specialty. I’m often very good at finding even a thread of hope or promise within a terrible situation.

But what if it’s more than just looking for the thread? What if we learn from a young age to actually be the one responsible for adding just the right amount of sweetness to turn a sour moment into something more palatable to help us survive it. And maybe more than survive it, thrive from it because just sugar or honey in a glass by itself isn’t refreshing at all.

So learn your tastes. Figure out which sweetener is the best to your many tastebuds. Maybe you prefer honey or agave, or you need a sugar-free additive like Stevia leaf. Maybe you’ve even learned that the juice of one orange to about 5 lemons makes a lovely mix of flavor and color in a tall glass of summer refreshment.

In life, even if you’ve grown up as a survivor from a dysfunctional home, you cannot see the future and exactly which lemons might come your way. So get a recipe ready for dealing with the bumps and potholes no matter what they are. The first part of the recipe will always be looking for the golden thread of hope or peace to hang onto until you can get to the sugar jar. And I believe the strongest golden thread is the voice of our Creator as He speaks to us from His Word.

Take Romans 8:28 for instance…

Romans 8:28 BSB
[28] And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose. 

https://bible.com/bible/3034/rom.8.28.BSB

Notice it doesn’t say all things (or all lemons) are good, nor does it say we should just give up and wait for them to turn good. It says they will work together for the good. And here’s an interesting factoid: the Greek word used for “work together” in the verse is synergeo—where we get our word “synergy.” That implies partnership, cooperation, and an active blending of ingredients.

And remember this: you are not alone. Whether you are young or carry a bit more experience, your Master Creator is already in the kitchen with you ready to help you with your lemonade mixture. He will provide the ingredients for the golden thread and the sweetness, just like He provides oranges and sugar cane for real food and beverage recipes.

King David learned this, and even though he dealt with many bitter things in life, he ultimately proclaimed:

Psalm 34:8 BSB
[8] Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!

https://bible.com/bible/3034/psa.34.8.BSB

And later in this same chapter... 

Psalm 34:19 BSB
[19] Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him from them all.

https://bible.com/bible/3034/psa.34.19.BSB

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Note: Compliments to Google Gemini as my collaborator and for giving me the info on the Greek in Romans 8:28. It fit perfectly with the direction for this post.

June 25, 2026 - Posted by Crystal A Murray (aka CrystalWriter) | AI Image Creations, Bible, by Day One, Christianity, Devotion, Gemini (by Google), Hard Days & Emotions, Learning and Thoughts, Nonfiction, Prompts, Slice of Life, Text on Image, Visual Parables (Images with a Message), Walking With The Lord, Wombo Dream | Bible, dailyprompt, dailyprompt-2801, encouragement, lemons to lemonade, make lemonade, more than a survivor, sage advice, to young people, you are not alone