Luiqi Tarisio (1796-1854) was found dead one morning with hardly any creature comforts in his home, except the presence of 246 exquisite violins. He was an Italian violin dealer and collector.
He had been collecting them all his life. They were all stored in the attic, the best violins were in the bottom drawer of an old rickety bureau. In his very devotion to the violin, Luiqi had robbed the world of all that beautiful and uplifting music.
Much of that collection was owned by others before him who had done much the same as Luiqi and hidden these rare and magnificent violins. So that when the greatest of his collection, a Stradivarius, was first played, it had been hidden for 147 years before anyone had ever touched it or played it.
As individuals who say we are followers of Jesus, that we are his disciples, do we not do much the same as Luiqi Tarisio did? At a certain age, we take the Good News, no, the Great News of Jesus and we put it in the bottom drawer of an old rickety bureau of our lives.
The magnificent, uplifting strains of love, goodness, forgiveness, compassion, gentleness, mercy and caring from the hands and heart of Jesus stay in that hidden, old rickety bureau of our lives. What a waste – of our lives and the wondrous melodies of Jesus that lie hidden within us.
The living presence of Jesus needs not only to be cherished like a priceless old violin. The living presence of Jesus is in OUR hands and hearts. The world is hungry to hear the magnificent, uplifting melodies of Jesus that can only come out of YOU and ME.
WHO in YOUR life needs the gentle, soothing and loving presence of Jesus that YOU can bring to them?
WHEN THE WORLD BRINGS YOU DOWN, LIFT YOUR MELODIOUS VOICE UP TO GOD!
