I had a fascinating discussion with a customer the other day that God used to answer a prayer.  The customer approached my register, ordered his meal and asked for lemonade to drink.  A few minutes later, he was back with the lemonade to complain.  “This doesn’t taste right..it’s sour.  Let me try the diet lemonade (made with Splenda) and see if it’s any sweeter.”  So I poured him a small bit of the diet in another cup, he tried it, and made an awful face, declaring, “this is too sour too!  Do you have any other kind?”

The answer, of course, was no.  We fresh squeeze our lemons, and the lemonade containers are clearly marked with their ingredients..either “lemons, water, sugar” or “water, lemons, Splenda”.  There is no prepackaged lemon stuff involved…its all from lemons just the way God made them!  So he went away with diet Coke in his hand.

After work, I was mulling over how ridiculous it was that he would turn down the real thing because he liked the fake better!  And then I realized..a struggle that I had been praying about in my own life was the same way!  I was asking God to bless what I wanted, that I really knew was not “the best” but was an acceptable (to me) 2nd choice..and I was just like my customer!  I almost insisted on the “fake” (my choice) instead of the “real”, His choice, if I was just willing to wait!

Lesson learned!  And next time YOU have a choice or decision, remember this story..and accept no substitutions!