A Christian leader writes: ‘The Italian violin maker Antonio Stradivari was a poor man. And yet his violins are now the most prized violins ever made because of the rich and resonant sound they produce. The unique sound of a Stradivarius cannot be duplicated. What may surprise you is that these precious instruments were not made from treasured pieces of wood; they were carved from discarded lumber. Because Stradivari couldn’t afford fine materials, he got most of his wood from the dirty harbours where he lived. He would take those waterlogged pieces of wood to his shop, clean them up, and dry them out. Then, from those trashed pieces of lumber, he would create instruments of rare beauty. It has since been discovered that while the wood floated in those dirty harbours, microbes infiltrated the wood and ate out the centres of those cells. This left just a fibrous infrastructure of wood that created resonating chambers for the music. From wood that nobody wanted, Stradivari produced violins that now everybody wants.’ You say, ‘How does any of this relate to me?’ Just as this violin maker transformed rubbish into treasure, God can transform you into what you were actually meant to be. You might say, ‘But you don’t know how low I have fallen or the things I’ve done. I doubt that Jesus could save and transform someone like me!’ Give Him a try. Put Him to the test. You won’t be disappointed. The Bible says, ‘He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him.’ © 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.