When Life Gives You Lemons....

My Uncle, whom I live with along with his son, was taken to jail a few weeks ago and now it falls on me to take care of my 16yr old cousin. I just found out from a college friend that his dad died a couple of weeks ago.
My aunt was telling me that a dear friend of hers suddenly died of some sudden heart problems. Another friend from college is going through rough stuff with his dad whom has been plagued by a brain tumor for the last two years. Things were looking good for a while for his dad but suddenly his dad took a turn for the worse.
I write all of this stuff because as at the age of 26 (I just turned 26 yesterday) I'm finding life exceedingly and increasingly difficult. It seems like everytime life starts to settle and things seem to start looking up there is something else to bring yo back to reality, or rather cement the reality that life sucks. I don't discount the fact that God is real and that He cares but life is just really difficult. Without God I don't how I or anyone could possibly cope!!
I was able to visit the mighty "Graceland" in Memphis, TN and got to talk to my aunt about Elvis and what his family and life were like. It seemed like his life was a tragedy nearly from birth. From a sick, almost emotionally incestuous relationship with his mother, to his sexually abusive and domineering relationship with his wife Priscilla (whom apparently he didn't even want to marry), to the failures of he and his Priscilla in "raising" (and I use that term loosely) their daughter Lisa Marie, to Lisa Marie's failures. You'd have to be a fool not to notice the cycle.
Speaking of cycles, the whole thing with my Uncle is a cycle. Due to failures of his parents he made bad choices and things are catching up to him. Not only does he suffer but his 16yr old son suffers and has suffered. Barring any miraculous breakthrough in his son's life he could follow the same legacy also.
I guess I say all that because it's a wonder people can ask the question, "Where is God in all of this?" Honestly, sometimes I ask myself that same question. Life sucks. Death sucks. Tragedy sucks. I remember a reflection I blogged about back in '06 about my paternal grandfather whom I've only met 2 times in my life. And how he died and people were upset and saddended at his funeral. It seems that due to our sin the consequences are severe!!!
That day in the garden of Eden when mankind was faced with the choice to obey God or do things are own way the decision didn't seem that important and neither did the outcome. But mankind has been dealing with consequences of that ever since and it's taking it's toll.
Life is hard!!! At 26 I'm not where I thought I would be. The saving grace about this is that most people say that about any age. Life is hard and the lemons are plentiful. When life gives you lemons......the only way to make lemonade is to go to the supplier and get the ingredients to make the lemonade. Better yet, I think we are supposed to give the Supplier our lemons and let Him make the lemonade. Never easy but ALWAYS necessary.