One String
At midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God.
(Acts 16:25)
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Italian violinist Niccoló Paganini (1782~1840) was playing a difficult piece of music before a large audience. Suddenly one string on his violin snapped, yet he continued to play, improvising beautifully. Then two more strings broke, and he completed the composition playing with only one string.
When the applause eventually stopped, he nodded at the conductor to begin the encore. The violinist smiled at the audience and shouted, “Paganini . . . and one string!” Placing his instrument under his chin, he played again with that one string.
With that in mind, Charles Swindoll writes, “The longer I live, the more convinced I become that life is 10 percent what happens to us and 90 percent how we respond to it.” Supporting his conviction with Scripture, Swindoll reviewed the response of Paul and Silas as they sat in stocks in prison. Instead of bemoaning their lot, they made use of the “one string” they had left—they prayed and sang praises to God (Acts 16:25). As a result of their testimony, the jailer and his entire household were converted and baptized.
Have you allowed life’s adversities to discourage and immobilize you? With God’s help, make the most of the “one string” you have left.
Meditate: In times of great adversity, Resources nearly gone, Through faith in God a Christian can Triumphantly go on.
Aphorism:If you keep in tune with Christ, you can sing even when all is dark.
一根弦
「約在半夜，保羅和西拉禱告唱詩讚美上帝。」
(使徒行傳16章25節)
義大利小提琴家尼可拉·帕格尼尼(Niccoló Paganini 1782~1840)正在很多聽眾面前拉奏一首難度很高的曲子。琴上的一根弦突然斷掉，然而他卻繼續拉奏，美妙地即興演奏。然後，另兩條弦也斷了，他繼續以一根弦奏完這首曲子。
最後掌聲終於止住時，他向指揮頷首以示開始下一支曲子。小提琴家向觀眾微笑，並呼喊「帕格尼尼……及一根弦！」將樂器夾在下巴之下，他再次以一根弦演奏。
查理斯·史溫道(Charles Swindoll) 將這事謹記在心，他寫道：「活得越久，我越相信，在我們的生命中所發生的事情，只有10％的時候決定於事情本身，而有90％的時候決定於我們如何對發生的事情作出反應。」史溫道以經文佐證他的信念，他回顧保羅與西拉被關在監牢時的反應。他們並未哀歎自己的厄運，而是利用僅存的「一根弦」~~他們禱告並向上帝唱讚美詩(使徒行傳16章25節)。因著他們的見證，獄卒及其全家都得以改變並受洗。
你被生活中的不幸擊垮、束縛住了嗎？靠著上帝的幫助，好好地利用你僅存的「一根弦」。
默想：當大的災難來臨，那楚歌四面響起；基督徒憑著信仰，滿懷著喜樂前行。
格言：與基督同聲，在黑夜中也能高歌。
轉載：住在鄰近遠方的信仰前輩