Life for a Flower

Many years ago a young woman was gathering wild flowers near the Clifton Suspension Bridge, Bristol, which spans the Avon at a great height. A boatman on the river noticed her stoop to pick a flower, and then, in endeavouring to recover her balance, she lost her footing and, with a scream of despair, fell and was dashed with terrific force on the rocks below.

When her lifeless form was picked up, one hand was noticed to be tightly clenched, and within it was found a scarlet poppy – she gained the flower, but lost her life.

This pathetic tragedy is a striking illustration of the Saviour’s question, “What is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” Many thoughtless ones today are seeking pleasure, fun, amusement, and are forgetting that, whilst they gain these quickly fading flowers, they are placing themselves too often in a position of soul-danger - “losing their own souls.” Many others are spending all their time and thoughts in striving to make money, occupying themselves only with their work, or business, but forgetting that all this is nothing, and worse than nothing, if they “lose their own souls!”

Let us be wise while it is time! And think on these things.