A Broken String

"Jack Reimer, a syndicated columnist, wrote a story about the great violinist Yitzhak Perlman.  Perlman had polio as a child and walks with crutches and braces on both legs.  Instead of arranging to be seated on stage at the beginning of his performance, he chooses to walk across the stage methodically and slowly until he reaches his chair.  Then he sits down, puts his crutches on the floor, undoes the clasps on his legs, bends down, picks up the violin, nods to the conductor, and proceeds to play.  As Reimer describes it, there is a certain majesty in this ritual.

     During a 1995 concert, a string on Perlman's violin suddenly snapped,and everyone in the audience could hear it.  The great virtuoso stopped and gazed at the broken string as those in attendance that night wondered what he would do.

Perlman closed his eyes, and after a moment of reflection, signaled the conductor to begin again.  

     Though anyone who knows music understands that it's impossible to play a symphonic work with just three strings, Perlman was undaunted.  Apparently you could see this superb artist actually recomposing the piece in his head as he went along, inventing new fingering positions to coax never-before-heard sounds from his three-string violin.

     The sophisticated New York audience watched and listened in awe, knowing they were witnessing a truly ground breaking performance.  When the piece was over, they exploded into appreciative applause.  Mr. Perlman smiled, wiped the sweat from his brow, and said in a soft, reverent tone,

"You know, sometimes it is the artist's task to find out how much music you can still make with what you have left."

     That's another truth that enables me to keep going.  Whatever strings are broken in our lives--we can still play beautiful music with what we have left.  In fact, it will be music that no one else can play in the the same way."Above taken from A Place of Healing:  Wrestling with the Mysteries of Suffering, Pain, and God's Sovereignty;  by Joni Eareckson Tada

This touched me, because it is a reminder that it is not what we have, but what we make with what we have.  Even if we are limited in our resources,  are we willing to allow our Heavenly Father to teach us, the liberty that comes from trusting Him, IN OUR limitations. And one step further...will we be willing to step out on the stage, and give Him the glory for it?