>> This is great, take a moment to read it, it will make your day!

>> The ending may surprise you.
>> Take my Son !

>> 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 somebody bid for this painting.
Who
>> will
>> start the bidding? $100, $200?"
>> Another voice 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."

>> "$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?"

>> "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 everything!"

>> God gave His son 2,000 years ago to die on the 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.

>> FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, WHO SO
>> EVER BELIEVETH, SHALL HAVE ETERNAL LIFE...THAT'S LOVE

Kat

Such a great story!

Amen sister!

Thank you so much Kat for sharing that!!! Amen!!!