Sweet love
stories can inspire romance even if they aren't
necessarily about romantic love. Just reading something
about true love of any kind can make you feel more
appreciative of the love in your life. This is a
very beautiful story defining the true beauty of the heart and the events that
sometimes unrepentantly may cause one's heart to break out of it's self made shell.
The Son
~ Author Unknown~
A wealthy man and his son loved to collect 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 this
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. He 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'll 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" someone shouted.
"$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 over."
"What about the paintings?"
"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 that 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 every thing!"
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.
