the touch of the Master's Hand

 

'Twas battered and scarred, and the auctioneer
Thought it scarcely worth his while
To waste much time on the old violin,
But held it up with a smile.

"What am I bidden, good folks?" he cried,
"Who'll start the bidding for me?"
"A dollar, a dollar"; then, "Two! Only two?
Two dollars, and who'll make it three?

Three dollars, once; three dollars twice;
Going for three" But no,
From the room, far back, a gray-haired man
Came forward and picked up the bow;

Then, wiping the dust from the old violin,
And tightening the loose strings,
He played a melody pure and sweet
As a caroling angel sings.

The music ceased, and the auctioneer,
With a voice that was quiet and low,
Said, "What am I bid for the old violin?"
And he held it up with the bow.

"A thousand dollars, and who'll make it two?
Two thousand! And who'll make it three?
Three thousand, once; three thousand, twice,
And going, and gone," said he.

The people cheered, but some of them cried,
"We do not quite understand
What changed its worth." Swift came the reply:
"The touch of a master's hand."
by Myra Brooks Welch and Bob Kelly

wow! Powerful words! I read this and thought about people in our world whom we tend to "throw away." The homeless. The depressed. The alcoholics, the drug addicts, those who are disabled, overweight, too skinny, to poor, too rich...too anything! They have no value. What does it take to restore value? Oh my goodness, all it takes...is simple validation from you and I: a word, a touch, a hug, a kind act done randomly. Suddenly the world is bright and shiny and new again!
My last few columns have been about alcohol and drug abuse, specifically meth. There are many more ways however that we tend to block people from entering our lives. Their sordid little tales just don't interest us. Why give them the time of day, right? To us,they are unimportant. Go back once again and read the poem, then you tell me why those people are unimportant. After all, it was YOU who said so! wasn't it???