~ Choose Your Bids Carefully ~
The author of the
following has not been identified.
A
wealthy man and his son collected rare works of art. They had everything in their collection, from
Picasso to Raphael. They would often sit
together and admire the great works of art.
When
the Vietnam conflict broke out, the son went to war. He was very courageous and
died in battle while rescuing another soldier.
The father was notified and grieved deeply for his only son.
About
a month later, just before Christmas, there was a knock at the door. A young man stood at the door with a large
package in his hands. He said, “Sir, you
don’t know me, but I am the soldier for whom your son gave his life. He saved many lives that day, and he was
carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him in the heart and he died
instantly. He often talked about you,
and your love for art.”
The
young man held out his package. “I know this isn’t much. I’m not
really a great artist, but I think your son would have wanted you to have
this.”
The
father opened the package. It was a
portrait of his son, painted by the young man at his door. The father stared in awe at the way the
soldier had captured the personality of his son in the painting. The father was so drawn to the eyes that his
own eyes welled up with tears. He
thanked the young man and offered to pay him for the picture.
“Oh, no sir, I could never repay what your son did
for me. It’s a gift.”
The
father hung the portrait over his mantle.
Every time visitors came to his home he took them to see the portrait of
his son before he showed them any of the other great works he had collected.
The
man died a few months later. There was
to be a great auction of his paintings.
Many influential people gathered, excited over seeing the great
paintings and having an opportunity to purchase one for their collection.
On
the platform sat the painting of the son.
The auctioneer pounded his gavel. “We will start the bidding with this picture
of the son. Who will bid for this
picture?” There was silence. Then a voice in the back of the room
shouted. “We want to see the famous
paintings. Skip this one.”
But
the auctioneer persisted. “Will someone
bid for this painting? Who will start
the bidding? $100, $200?”
Another voice shouted angrily.
“We didn't come to see this painting... we came to see the Van Goghs,
the Rembrandts. Get on with the real
bids!” But still the auctioneer
continued. “The son! The son!
Who’II take the son?”
Finally,
a voice came from the very back of the room.
It was the longtime gardener of the man and his son. “I’ll give $10 for the painting.”
Being
a poor man, it was all he could afford. “We have $10, who will bid $20?”
“Give it to him for $10. Let’s see the masters.”
“$10 is the bid, won’t someone bid $20?” The crowd was becoming angry. They didn’t want the picture of the son. They wanted the more worthy investments for
their collections. The auctioneer
pounded the gavel. “Going once, twice,
SOLD for $10!”
A
man sitting on the second row shouted. “Now
let’s get on with the collection!”
The
auctioneer laid down his gavel. “I’m sorry, the auction is over.”
“What about the paintings?” they demanded angrily.
“I am sorry.
When I was called to conduct this auction, I was told of a secret stipulation in the
will. I was not allowed to reveal the
stipulation until this time. Only the
painting of the son would be auctioned.
Whoever bought that painting would inherit the entire estate including
the paintings. The man who took the son
gets everything!”
God
gave His son 2,000 years ago to die on a cruel cross. Much like the auctioneer, His message today
is, “The Son, the Son, who’ll take the Son?”
Because, you see, whoever takes the Son gets everything.
~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW
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