Day 3
Do
I understand What Christ did for me? Do I believe that I am important enough
for Him to love me and give all He has for me? Do I love myself enough to
accept who I am even when others might not see the beauty that is hidden
inside?
John 3:16
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, That whosoever
believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
The Son
Years ago, there was a very
wealthy man who, with his devoted young son, shared a passion for art
collecting. Together they traveled around the world, adding only the finest art
treasures to their collection. They owned priceless works by Picasso, Van Gogh,
Rembrandt, Monet and many others adorned the walls and rooms of the family
estate. The elderly man had lost his wife earlier in life, so his son was his
whole world. They traveled the world attending art shows and auctions together.
The widowed elder man looked on with satisfaction, as his only child became an
experienced art collector. The son’s trained eye and sharp business mind caused
his father to beam with pride as they dealt with art collectors from around the
world. It was a joint endeavor that brought them very close.
But things soon changed for
the young man as our country went to war. War engulfed our nation; the son was
drafted, and left to serve his country. The father anxiously waited day after
day to hear from his son after he was shipped overseas to the war front, but a
letter never came. After a period of some weeks, his father received a
telegram. His beloved son was missing in action. The old man anxiously awaited
more news, heartbroken and fearful that he would never see his son again.
Within days, after receiving
the telegram, there came a knock at his front door. As he opened the door,
there stood a soldier at attention. The soldier informed him that his worse
fear was now confirmed. While under heavy enemy fire, his beloved son had
rescued a fellow soldier that was wounded, pulling him out of harms
way trying to get him to safety. He was trying to reach a medic to care
for the man’s wounds. But in risking his life to save the man, he had exposed
himself to heavy enemy fire. Even though he was able to get the wounded soldier
to safety, the wounds he received as a result were too severe for him to
survive, and he had died, shot through the heart. The old man stood in silence
for a moment, he felt his body go limp, his heart sank in his chest, and then
he slowly closed the door.
Distraught and lonely, the
old man faced the upcoming Christmas holidays with anguish and sadness. The joy
of the season – a season that he and his son had so looked forward to – would
visit his house no longer.
On
Christmas morning, a knock on the door awakened the depressed old man. As he
walked to the door, he walked by all the masterpieces by Picasso, Van Gogh, and
Monet on the walls in the hallway. They only reminded him that his son was not
coming home, and they would never share their love of the arts together again.
As he opened the door, another soldier greeted him. This soldier had a
large package in his hand. He introduced himself to the man by saying, “Sir, I
was a friend of your son. I was severely wounded in battle, I was trapped. Your
son risking his own life came and rescued me. If not for him I would have
perished. I am the one he was rescuing when he died. The old man stood, weak in
the knees, tears in his eyes and looked at the young man, and asked him, “So
you knew my son”? “Yes” indicated the soldier, “I knew him well”.
The soldier then said to the
broken-hearted father, “May I come in for a few moments? I have something
to show you” “Yes, yes, please come in“, said the old man…As the two began to
talk, the soldier told the old man how his son would always tell stories to all
of his friends of he and his father’s love of fine art. “I’m definitely not a
great artist,” said the soldier, as he handed the old man the package, but I
painted this myself and I want you to have it”. As the old man unwrapped the
package, the paper gave way to show a portrait of the scene of the old man’s
son, carrying the wounded soldier, pulling him to safety during the heat of the
battle. The battle in which he had lost his life. Though the world would never
consider it the work of a genius, or that of even a decent artist, the painting
featured the young man’s face and courage during the battle in striking detail.
Overcome with emotion, the
man thanked the soldier, promising to hang the picture above the fireplace.
A few hours later, after the
soldier had departed, the old man set about his task. True to his word, the
painting went above the fireplace. He pushed aside hundreds of thousands of
dollars of paintings, and put the picture of his son in their place. And then
the man sat in his chair and spent Christmas gazing at the gift he had been
given.
During the days and weeks
that followed, the old man realized that even though his son was no longer with
him, his boy’s life would live on because of the lives he had touched. He would
sit and watch the scene where his son gave his life in sacrifice to save
another.
As time passed, more and
more stories came to his attention, as many other soldiers contacted him and
told him that his son had rescued them also and carried them to safety when
they were wounded. The stories of dozens of wounded soldiers saved by his
courage came to light before that fatal moment when a bullet stilled his caring
heart. As the stories of his son’s gallantry continued to reach him, the old
man’s fatherly pride and satisfaction began to ease the grief and heartache he
had suffered.
The painting of his son soon
became his most prized possession, far eclipsing any interest in the pieces for
which museums around the world pay dearly for and collectors clamored for. He
told his friends and neighbors it was the greatest gift he had ever received.
The following spring, the
old man became ill and passed way. With the collectors passing, and his only
son dead, the press released a story that his precious art collection, worth
many tens of millions of dollars would be sold at auction. The art world was
excited in anticipation. According to the will of the old man, all the art
works would be auctioned on Christmas day, the day he had received his greatest
gift, the gift of the painting from the once wounded soldier that had been
saved by his son. The day soon arrived, and art collectors from around the
world gathered to bid on some of the world’s most spectacular and expensive
paintings. Dreams would be fulfilled this day; greatness would be achieved as
many would claim, “I have the world’s greatest painting”, or “I have the
greatest collection of paintings in the world.”
The auction began with a
painting titled simply “The Son”. It was a painting that was not on any
museum’s list, or on the list that any of the buyers had. It was the painting
of the old man’s son. Those in attendance looked around in bewilderment, what
kind of joke is this they wondered. This painting is obviously of no
value, it is garbage, they said among themselves. It is of poor quality, very
amateur to say the least. The auctioneer asked for an opening bid. The room was
silent. “Who will open the bidding with $100 for this painting?” he asked.
Minutes passed. No one
spoke. From all around the room of the shouts came, “Who cares about that
painting, it is not even a decent painting, it is of very poor quality, by an
unknown artist, and it has no value whatsoever. It is not worth anything. It’s
just a picture of his son at war. Let’s forget it and go on to the good stuff,
no one here is interested in that. More voices echoed in agreement. “No,
we have to sell this one first,” replied the auctioneer. The auction resumed.
“Now, who will bid on this
picture said the auctioneer?” Over and over he repeated the same phrase, “Who
will bid on this picture”? Finally, sitting on the back row at the far end of
the room the gardener of the old man stood up and spoke. Looking first around
the room at all the glaring eyes, and then at the auctioneer he said, “I am not
a rich man, and I do not have much to offer”. “The father was a friend of
mine, and I knew the boy”. I would love to have it, if no one else wants it, it
would mean so very much to me. But I only have ten dollars,” “Will you take ten
dollars for the painting, I’m sorry, that’s all I have.
“I have ten dollars, will
anyone go higher?” barked the auctioneer. After more silence, the auctioneer
said again, “I have ten dollars, will anyone go higher?” No one else bid on the
painting. “Going once, going twice, sold for ten dollars to the gentleman in
the back row; please see the cashier said the auctioneer.” The gavel fell.
Cheers filled the room and
someone exclaimed, “Now we can get on with it and we can bid on these treasures
of art.
The auctioneer looked at the
audience and announced the auction was over. Stunned disbelief at first quieted
the room. Then from all around the room there was yelling and confusion. They
were all saying, “What do you mean it’s over? We didn’t come here for a picture of
some old guy’s son. What is going on here? What about all the paintings by
Picasso, Van Gogh, Monet and Rembrandt? There are millions and millions of
dollars of art here! We demand that you explain what’s going on here!”
The auctioneer replied,
“It’s very simple. According to the will of the father, whoever takes The Son…
gets it all.”
Challenge:
Do all you can to build others and make them feel
of worth. Every day for two weeks notice the worthwhile qualities and
attributes of others. Acknowledge them verbally or in writing. In your journal
write what you have learned about the worth of individuals and how your own
confidence grows when you build others.
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