Take My Son

(Regardless of the religious implications, I thought
this a touching story.)

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 knockat 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 long time 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.

Author Unknown

Mayo Jar And Two Cups Of Coffee

Mayo Jar and 2 Cups of Coffee

When things in your life seem almost too much
to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough,
remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 cups of coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and
had some items in front of him. When the class began,
he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty
mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.
He then asked the students if the jar wasfull. They
agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and
poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly.
The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the
golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar
was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured
it into the jar.Of course, the sand filled up everything else.
He asked once more if the jar was full. The students
responded with a unanimous "yes."

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from
under the table and poured the entire contents into
the jar effectively filling the empty space between
the sand. The students laughed.

"Now," said the professor as the laughter subsided,
"I want you to recognize that this jar represents your
life. The golf balls are the important things--God, your
family, your children, your health, your friends and
your favorite passions--and if everything else was lost
and only they remained, your life would still be full.
The pebbles are the other things that matter like your
job, your house and your car. The sand is everything
else--the small stuff."

If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there
is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes
for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the
small stuff you will never have room for the things that
are important to you.

"Pay attention to the things that are critical to your
happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get
medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner.
Play another 18. There will always be time to clean
the house and fix the disposal.Take care of the golf
balls first--the things that really matter.

Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."One of the
students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee
represented. The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked.
It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life
may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee
with a friend."

Author Unknown