Jackie's Journey "I Want EVERYTHING!"

"“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 Viet Nam 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 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 man and offered to pay him but the soldier replied, ‘I could never repay what your son did for me…it is a gift’.  The father hung the portrait over his mantle and when visitors came, he took them to see his son before he showed them any of the other great works of art he had collected.

 A few months later, the man died. There was to be a great auction of his paintings.  Many influential people gathered, hoping to purchase a famous painting for their collection.  First, on the platform, was 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?

 Someone 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 biding. $100.00 - $200.00??  Another voice shouted angrily, ‘We did not come to see this painting.  We came to see the Van Goghs, the Rembrandts…”  Get on with the real bid’s’.

 But still the auctioneer continued, “The son…the son…who will 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 $10.00 for the painting.”  Being a poor man, it was all he could afford. ‘We have $10.00, who will bid $20.00?’

‘Let’s see the Masters!’ $10.00 dollars is bid, won’t someone bid $20.00?  The crowd was becoming angry.  They did not 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 $10.00.”

 A man sitting in the second row shouted,” Great, now, let’s get on with the collection’.  The auctioneer laid down his gavel and said, ‘I’m sorry but the auction is over.’ ‘What…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.  Whoever bought the painting would inherit the entire estate, including the paintings.  The man who took the son gets everything!” ( author unknown)

 God gave His Son 2,000 years ago to die on the cruel cross.

 Much like the auctioneer, His message today is,

“The Son, the Son, who will take the Son?” 

 Because you see…whoever takes the Son gets everything!

~Jackie Johnson - I am a former tribal missionary to the Kuna Indians on the Colombian border in Central America.  Fluent in several languages, my husband and I currently pastor a Spanish-speaking church in Southern California.  My passion is mentoring and equipping dedicated young women for life, marriage, motherhood, and beyond. I am the mother of two daughters and the grandmother of three Princesses and four young Knights. 

Jackie's Journey "Inspiring Imprints!"

Christina and Kim, my daughters, asleep in our jungle hammock

As a young missionary mother reading to these two little ones sitting next to me in a hammock in the middle of the Darien jungle, my heart yearned for books that would introduce my girls to bible-based, character-emphasized prince and princesses that they could aspire to become.  I would take every book I picked up and purpose to impose these two principles into the pages in terms they could understand that had eternal values targeted. 

These girls are grown and have given me seven grandchildren!  Christina encouraged me for years to sit down and put on paper what I did to the stories I read in those early years.  Her cry for these books for her four little ones was my primary motivation in writing The Princess Parable Series.

The opportunities are unlimited when it comes to God building His character in us, and then, into those we love.  Understanding the need and exercising the steps of action required to see them implemented is our challenge. 

When you look at your children where do you see their primary need?  Taking into consideration their age and temperament…maybe the need for them to be more alert or to respond more quickly in obedience?  Maybe rebellion is the issue or selfishness? 

Where would you begin to help

 the little prince or princess in your home?

 Values are based on the changing opinions of what people or groups of people practice in their principles or ideals.  Character is based on universal standards that are time-tested and recognized as being ethically correct.  Character is written in every person’s heart and conscience (Romans 2:15).  Even though the basic truth of a character quality is understood, there is a need for further clarification on how to apply the truth in our daily circumstances. 

I have collected positive character quality definitions for years because they describe pieces of the Godhead and assist in my personal spiritual exercise and transformation.  They equipped me to pragmatically instruct my girls as we walked through daily activities living in a culture very different than our own. The qualities of kindness and compassion wereright up there at the top!

 In the village where we lived, the Kuna practice of polygamy and early marriages combined with witchcraft and a village witchdoctor opened up interesting teaching opportunities.

It brought to mind a time not too many years ago when my two granddaughters accomplished an extraordinary act of compassion in just a few days.   I was asked to wrap a collection of gifts, gift cards and get-well cards with money that Catherine and Alexandra had gathered to give to Alexandra’s teacher at school.

Catherrine and Alexandra,

my granddaughters

Alexandra’s heart had been challenged to encourage this young single woman, who had recently left her parents and siblings on the East Coast to answer a call to serve at her school in our community here on the West Coast.

 This teacher had taken a daily six-hour cancer treatment three months earlier and had quietly gone alone for treatment here the last six weeks, not wanting to burden or inconvenience anyone else.  During her follow-up appointment, the doctors found the cancer had returned…aggressively!  

Alexandra tearfully shared with her sister, Catherine, the sadness she felt.  Catherine, who was the school’s “Kindness Club” director, immediately joined hearts and hands with her sister, their mother (Christina), and many who heard of the need. Within just a few days they had rallied friends, families, neighbors and they handed me a huge box-full of “gifts” to be wrapped!

We respond to life according to our character, good or bad.  Our wrong responses indicate our need.  Our correct responses validate our victories.  For me, this was a victory of a life-lesson well-taught and learned. The blessing of three generations clasping hands to compassionately encourage a hurting heart!

Compassion is doing whatever is necessary to heal the hurts and meet the need of another.  Christ is the greatest teacher that ever lived and our example. His compassion for us carried Him to the cross!  Living outside our own self-life, being alert to another’s pain and not walking by without lifting a hand is our “call to action”. 

“If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother

in need but has no pity on him,

how can the love of God be in him?” 1 John 3:17

~Jackie Johnson - I am a former tribal missionary to the Kuna Indians on the Colombian border in Central America.  Fluent in several languages, my husband and I currently pastor a Spanish-speaking church in Southern California.  My passion is mentoring and equipping dedicated young women for life, marriage, motherhood, and beyond. I am the mother of two daughters and the grandmother of three Princesses and four young Knights.