Inspirational Stories (part 2)

TOPICS:

Joy, Encouragement, Just for Fun

DURATION:

Approximately 2-3 minutes each 

 
WHO'LL TAKE 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 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. 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." "$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 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. 

 
A RIGHTEOUS JUDGE (Author Unknown) Submitted by Kelli Grim

Once upon a time, there was a righteous judge. He always made fair judgments. He was also a father to a wonderful boy named Buddy. The judge was a very good father and loved his son very much. Buddy was a good boy. He adored his father and always tried to please him. Buddy also loved playing baseball with his friends. One day his friends told him there was a great game going on in the empty lot behind Old Wilson’s place. Buddy knew he wasn’t supposed to play in that lot, because Old Wilson was a mean stingy old man who was very wealthy. He hated Buddy’s father because the Judge had made him pay for a ticket. Old Wilson thought he shouldn’t have to pay, because he was rich and powerful. Now Old Wilson had a stained glass window that was very valuable and could never be replaced. It was one of a kind. That’s why the judge had asked Buddy not to play on the lot, because he was afraid Buddy would break the window. But Buddy had never hit a ball that far before and besides his dad was at work and wouldn’t find out.

When Buddy got to the lot, the game had just started and he was very excited because he had received a new baseball bat for his birthday. Everything was going fine and the game was almost over. His team was about to win. It was Buddy’s turn at bat and the bases were loaded. He stepped up to the plate with his brand new bat in his hand when the pitcher threw the perfect pitch. Buddy watched the ball until it was in the perfect spot, then… he swung with all his might. He felt the ball crack against the bat and he knew right away that he had hit a home run. As soon as he realized he had hit a home run, he also came to the realization that his ball was heading directly for Old Wilson’s prized window.! The other kids gasped and Buddy could only watch in horror as he heard and saw the beautiful window crash and all the colorful pieces fall to the ground. Almost as soon as the window broke, Old Wilson burst out of his house. Buddy felt frozen to the spot as he watched all his friends run away, and he was left to himself on the field to face Old Wilson’s wrath.

“Oh, it's you, the Judges’ son,” Old Wilson spat. “Let’s see if he makes his own son pay the price for his crime. That window was worth a million dollars and we all know you don’t have that kind of money,” he said pointing his bony finger in Buddy’s face.

Old Wilson seemed almost joyful as he pulled Buddy into his father's courtroom by the arm later that evening. Buddy felt mortified as he looked into his father's eyes. They looked back at him with such sadness and love. Although Buddy was ashamed of himself, he was very relieved that his papa was the judge. He would never send his own child to juvenile detention. Although Buddy knew in his heart it was the punishment he deserved. But Buddy’s relief was short lived when he heard his father, the Judge say guilty as charged! I order Buddy to pay one million dollars to Mr. Wilson or spend a year in juvenile detention.

“But Papa,” Buddy wailed. “You’re my father. Can’t you let me off because I am your child? I am sorry for what I did. I know I deserve the punishment, but you know I don’t have a million dollars and if I go to juvenile detention we will be separated for a whole year!”

”So be it,” said the judge. “Your sentence is pronounced.” Even Old Wilson looked as if the wind was knocked out of him as the gavel came down on the pulpit. The officers started toward Buddy with the handcuffs. Just then, the Judge said, “Wait!”, Every one watched as the Judge took of his robes and folded them, then laid them neatly on his chair. He came down off the bench and stood next to Buddy. He said, “I am no longer the Judge, I am now your father. I will sell everything I own to pay the price to keep you out of jail so we won’t be separated.”

We are like Buddy. We have all sinned. Heaven is perfect, and if God allowed us as sinners to go to heaven, it would no longer be perfect. It would be defiled. The Bible says, “the wages (or price) for sin is death—separation from God.” God, being perfect, judges all of us righteously, and like Old Wilson, Satan accuses us. However, Jesus is like the father in this story. He chose to be born a man and he was perfect. He paid the wage or price for our sin if we accept the gift.

 
A SPIDER'S WEB (Author Unknown)

A young soldier found himself in a terrible battle during the Scottish Reformation. The enemy was soundly defeating this young man's army. He and his comrades found themselves hastily retreating from the battle field in defeat, running away in fear of their very lives. The enemy gave chase. This young man ran hard and fast, full of fear and desperation, soon found himself cut off from his comrades in arms.

He eventually came upon a rocky ledge containing a cave. Knowing the enemy was close behind, and that he was exhausted from the chase, chose to hide there. After he crawled in, he fell to his face in the darkness, desperately crying to God to save him and protect him from his enemies.  He also made a bargain with God. He promised that if God saved him, he would serve Him for the remainder of his days.

When he looked up from his despairing plea for help, he saw a spider beginning to weave its web at the entrance to the cave. As he watched the delicate threads being slowly drawn across the mouth of the cave, the young soldier pondered its irony. He thought, "I asked God for protection and deliverance, and he sent me a spider instead. How can a spider save me?"

His heart was hardened, knowing the enemy would soon discover his hiding place and kill him.

And soon he did hear the sound of his enemies, who were now scouring the area looking for those in hiding. One soldier with a gun slowly walked up to the cave's entrance. As the young man crouched in the darkness, hoping to surprise the enemy in a last-minute desperate attempt to save his own life, he felt his heart pounding wildly out of control.

As the enemy cautiously moved forward to enter the cave, he came upon the spider's web, which by now was completely strung across the opening. He backed away and called out to a comrade, "There can't be anyone in here. They would have had to break this spider's web to enter the cave. Let's move on."

Years later, this young man, who made good his promise by becoming a preacher and evangelist, wrote about that ordeal. He wrote:

"Where God is, a spider's web is as a stone wall. Where God is not, a stone wall is as a spider's web."