You guys, Liv Nima is a straight hustler.  She’s got that thing…that spark that it takes to pull something off.

And she’s four years old.

She wanted to sell lemonade to raise money for her sister, Esther.  How cool right?  She got the idea from the neighbors down the street who assaulted us with lemonade pitches every time we went on a walk.  The first time she saw them she was intrigued and had a million questions about why they were doing it and how it all worked.  She was taking mental notes, hatching her plan for her own lemonade monopoly.

So we needed:

a lemonade stand +  lemonade + customers

to equal = cold hard cash.

I knew that someone on our street owned a lemonade stand.  I had seen it leaned against their garage 6 months ago…the problem was I didn’t know which house it was.  I knew it was on the left side of our street…and that there were trees by the house (narrows the search).  So one evening I set out to find it.

“I’ll be right back.”

“Where are you going?” – the logical sane one asked

“To find that lemonade stand.”

“What are you going to do go door to door?”

“Umm, yeah.”

“Ok….You don’t think that’s weird?”

“Nope.”

So I did.  And I found it!  Second try…second house!

Just call me Sherlock Holmes.

Let me know if you need to find an arbitrary item that you think you saw leaned somewhere in a vicinity of town….that’s my specialty.

Next step was making the lemonade.

Now, we weren’t gonna have your basic lemonade.  We wanted flare.

Raspberry, lavender…that was our goal.

Liv had a role in the lemonade making, she poured the mix through a funnel into the containers of water.  The rest was left up to Brent and I.

Let me tell you the marital bliss that ensued as we tried to measure out the amount of lavender to add to the lemonade.  We were using 1/2 teaspoons, measuring cups, our calculators, googling “how many 1/2 teaspoons are in 1 gallon”  and then “how many ounces in a gallon…what about a teaspoon..”…doing all the math and forgetting what we were doing half way through the equation.  It was a mess.

We looked like a couple of mad scientists.

Lemonade Stand day came and Liv woke up buzzing with excitement.  She had set a goal for her lemonade stand and was aiming to raise $300.00.  What a bold goal for a sweet little nugget to decide on.

“Sis…are you so excited about your lemonade stand today?”

“Mama….I’m just excited about Esther.”

If you need me I’ll be dead.  Isn’t that the sweetest thing you’ve ever heard.

We set up the stand in the middle of the most humid August day in front of the hippest coffee shop in town. (Shout out to Andrew at Rhino Coffee for allowing us to use his patio)  It was so hot y’all.

Liv and I prepped the stand, set out the cups, the ice, the lemon wedges that were a non-negotioable add-on for the side of the cups, the lemonade containers.  We were ready.

I didn’t have time to prep her or go over any details before the first customer approached.

Liv walked directly up to her, slapped her hand and said, “Money?”

Good gravy.  We had some customer service training to do.

Thank God the first customer was my friend Candy Huggins. (that is her real name y’all…isn’t that the cutest most amazing name ever…and let me tell you … she fits it…she seems like the type to give you candy and a hug)  Candy gave Liv grace and glazed over the rude interaction as she selected her lemonade and paid.

I pulled Liv to the side.

“Ok sis.  Great job on your first sell.  But we can’t just go up to people and demand their money.  They don’t have to pay if they don’t want to.  We need to be nice and friendly and tell them why you’re selling the lemonade.  Make sure you smile and treat everyone like they are special.”

“Yes ma’am.”  She was listening to every word intently.

What happened next is nothing short of a miracle.

Customers POURED into her lemonade stand.  I’m talking a lot of people.  One person after the other walked up and got in line to buy lemonade from by far the cutest entrepreneur in town.

And here was her spill:

“Hi.  Welcome to my lemonade stand.  Would you like some lemonade?  It’s for my sister Esther in China?”

OF COURSE I WILL BUY THE LEMONADE FROM YOU, ALL OF IT, HERE IS MY CASH, CHECK, AND DEBIT CARD….TAKE IT ALL YOU’RE SO CUTE I MIGHT DIE.

This was I’m sure how each customer felt.

After they would give their order she would grab a cup and, acting like the cup was a microphone she would say:

“One lavender lemonade coming right up!”

KILL ME NOW.

It was enough to put me right in the grave.  I think I felt physical pain from the cuteness.

She did that pitch for over 120 customers that day.

At one point she turned around and saw the line wrapped around the building.

She walked behind the lemonade stand where she thought she was alone and said to herself:

“Ok.  A lot of people.  You can do this.”

Y’all.  I literally could not even deal with it.

And when someone ordered a tricky order: half lavender half raspberry, she walked behind the stand again and put her hands on her knees and said to herself:

“Alright.  I can do it.”

She was pumping herself up behind the scenes to be able to make this half and half concoction that someone ordered just to throw her off.

I could not believe the amount of people who came to show support for both of my daughters.  Liv had some high profile customers that day:  her teacher, her doctor, area pastors and no biggie but the head of the FBI for our area.  You know…just your average folks.

And Liv, well she blew me away that day.  I felt as though I might explode with pride.

For Brent and I it wasn’t about how much she raised.  We wanted her to learn that it takes sacrifice to love the orphan and the needy and the outcast.  That it requires we work really hard and get personally involved.  We also prayed that Liv would be shown that day that she was loved and supported.  Our prayers were answered.

The basket of money kept filling up and she kept filling cups with lemonade.

At the end of the day, we counted the money.

Do you want to know the total?!?!?  I know you do…it’s probably the only reason you’re reading this blog.

Drumroll please……..

Liv’s Lemonade stand raised a GRAND TOTAL of:

$1700.00!!!!!!!

Can you believe it?!?  When I heard the total all I could do was throw my head back and laugh.

The Lord took my little bit’s $300.00 goal and blew it out of the water.

Who makes $1700.00 selling lemonade?!

What a hustle.

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Here are some of my thoughts after the Lemonade Stand:

My daughter has IT.  The IT it takes to do BIG things.  She has what it takes to lead, to push, to work hard, to set a goal, to not slow down until it’s done, to stand in the gap for the least in our world and to do it joyfully.  I hadn’t seen it until this day.  I could barely handle how proud I was of the work that has happened in her little life.  Once orphaned now an advocate for an orphan-soon-to-be-sister.

I was reminded that if it takes a village, and it definitely does, WE HAVE ONE.  We have a tribe you guys.  That day was a big giant reminder that if the Lord has given us one thing, He has given us people.  People who come around us and champion our family and love us to pieces at every chance they get.  Our people that day made buying lemonade from a 4 year old the cool thing to do.  It was a party and our people had really shown up for Liv and Esther.

The greatest story in the world is the story of a redeemed life that becomes a fighter for the redemption of others.  That’s what were called to.  You and I have been rescued, orphans no more, and it’s our job to use our every day resources to bring life and restoration to another.

Lemonade CAN BE a lucrative business.  Especially if you have the cutest Congolese princess asking what flavor you want.