Silver lining

 I've always spoken English. I never really thought about why it's so difficult until I thought about it recently. 

My pastor told me about how his Chinese Bible student didn't know that "bought the farm" means dying. 

Honestly, I don't know why that means death, but it got me thinking about something that has bothered me all my life: What the hell does it mean when you say that every cloud has a silver lining?

I've heard it used both positive and negative ways.  "Well, I totaled the semi, but there's a silver lining to all this - insurance paid for a brand new replacement." 

But then I hear it used the other way: "I inherited the estate from my rich uncle, but there's a silver lining - I have to pay a huge property tax every year."

C'mon, what the hell?