When Life Hands You Lemons . . .

Photo by: dusky

Stephen Sutton died May 14, 2014, Wednesday morning, from cancer. He was 19 years old.

Having terminal cancer gave Stephen purpose. At the time of his passing, he had raised £3,439,865 or $5,744,574.55 for the Teenage Cancer Trust.

Stephen quoted, “When life hands you lemons, make lemonade.” He added, “When life hands you cancer . . .?”

Stephen’s “bucket list” included sky diving and hugging an animal larger than he. Stephen did both. (He sky dived with school teachers and hugged an elephant.)

Stephen blogged, tweeted, and motivated celebrities to sign on to his cause. He set a goal of one million pounds for cancer research. Needless to say, the campaign caught the imagination of many—and their pocketbooks. Stephen’s fun videos and happy personality inspired people all over the world.

If you knew you had a 
limited time to live,

what would you do?

How would you make your remaining time count?

What would be your greatest cause?

How would you spend your last days, hours, and minutes?

Your answers to these questions reveal your true values.

C. T. Studd said,

“Only one life, ‘twill soon be past.

Only what’s done for Christ will last.”

Jesus told this parable: Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God (Luke 12:15-21).

How can we be rich toward God?

• Know Him. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent (John 17:3).
• Live for Him. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me (Galatians 2:20).
• Serve Him. That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life (Luke 1:74-75).

When life hands you lemons—or cancer, or any other life circumstance—be rich toward God. Make every day count for Him!