| The Best Things in Life |
Chapter 11 |
Page 7 |
And the mightiest of all inspirations is the love of Christ. There is a legend of a monk in a monastery cell, who painted picture after picture of martyrs, saints, and oftener than aught else, of the thorn crowned face of Christ. His fellow monks thought him mentally wanting, and said his pictures were mere daubs. But he endured their jeers, and worked on. He had dreamed over the Christ of Calvary until his soul was aflame with loving devotion, and he longed to make a picture which would honour his Lord. One night, when the scorn of his companions had been almost more than he could bear, he sought his cell with a breaking heart. “My life is wasted,” he cried. “I never can worthily paint, my beloved Master. Tomorrow the fire shall consume all these wretched failures.” He raised his streaming eyes, and lo, there was Another in his cell – One thorn crowned, his face shining in ineffable beauty, the very face he had seen so often in his dreams, and longed to paint! Then a voice spoke, “All work is worthy that is done for love of me.” As he looked in wondering awe, his pictures on the wall took on a transcendent loveliness. The dreams of the poor monk’s heart had found their realization.
Thus it is that the love of Christ transfigures the poorest, plainest things we do. We may be discouraged over the things we have been trying to do for Christ. A young Sunday school teacher spoke with disheartenment of what seemed to her a failure in her efforts to do her pupils good. We all feel so of ourselves and our work. We cannot think that God will use anything so poor, so inadequate, so unworthy, as even our best. But let us remember that if the friendship of Christ is in our hearts, it is not we alone, but Christ and we, who do the work. Inspired by this friendship, even the smallest things we do, if they are the best we can do, will be beautiful in Heaven’s sight, and will be accepted.
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