Something Beautiful

Here's another short story I found in Young Disciple magazine (http://www.youngdisciple.com/). It's on page 5 of Volume 19, Number 25. Again, the source says "Selected". The title is "Something Beautiful".

~Photobug

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The violin manufacturer held out the instrument tenderly to the concert violinist. What would he think of the special-ordered instrument--the craftsman's masterpiece? As the musician swept his bow across the strinsg, his eyes darkened. Anger distorting his face, the musician flung the instrument against the wall. "It's worthless!" he shouted as the violin splintered into pieces.

Alone again in his shop, the craftsman stared at the shattered remains of his days of careful, painstaking effort. Not only had the violinist destroyed his violin; he had jeopardized his reputation and his livelihood. Stooping to the floor, the man gathered the pieces. To his amazement, they still fit together. With fresh inspiration, he went to work. He would fashion this broken instrument into a masterpiece surpassing anything he had ever created.

When at last the final varnish had been applied, the craftsman placed the violin in a sturdy, beautifu case and sent it by personal messenger to the concert violinist. This time, as the musician drew his bow across the strings, a smile brightened his face. Eagerly he played piece after piece, as if entranced. At last he looked at the messenger. "This is a perfect violin," he pronounced. "What is the price?"

"The master bids me tell you nothing at all, sir." The messenger bowed. "This is the same instrument you smashed to pieces. It was crafted from the fragments."

Do you sometimes feel that your life is shattered and worthless? If so, don't give up in despair. God can take the pieces of your life, and put them together again. The touch of the Holy Spirit can make something beautiful of your broken fragments!