Maybe you read about the guy who lost his cello. Daniel Rothmuller came home very tired one night and absent-mindedly left his cello outside his home. This was no ordinary cello. Daniel is a cellist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and this was a 1684 Stradivarius cello worth $3.5 million. What happened to this incredibly valuable instrument so essential to Daniel’s career? A thief on a bicycle took it away. Later, Melissa Stevens, a 29-yr-old nurse, found the cello, but had no idea of its value. She was on her way to visit a patient and picked it up where the thief dropped it, probably because it was so bulky. She took it to her boyfriend who is a cabinetmaker and asked him to repair the cracks and scratches. He agreed to do it, but suggested that he might just put a hinge on top and convert the cello into a CD holder. Fortunately, ten days later Melissa saw a TV report about the cello and turned it in. It was still a cello and not a CD holder! She said, “Thank God my boyfriend doesn’t work too quickly on things of mine.”
Now, I could comment on Melissa’s honesty, on the “value” of the boyfriend’s procrastination, even on the thief’s missed opportunity, but I’m most interested in Daniel. How do you think he felt when he woke up that morning, remembered where he left his cello and went to retrieve it? How hard did he kick himself during those ten days before the cello was returned? What do you think he said to his family, friends and fellow Philharmonic fiddlers? If he was able to say anything intelligible, I’m certain it was filled with disbelief at what he’d done and remorse at his own neglect for such a treasure.
Have you ever treated anything so valuable with such carelessness? Surely not! Ever left something you cherished out for the thieves? Ever been so preoccupied with something else that you forgot to protect your highest priorities? How about your family? Your wife? Your children? How about Jesus Christ and the precious relationship He yearns to have with you? How about the gift of His grace He has given to you so freely as if you were the only friend He had?
The legal profession is very demanding! I’ve noticed that most lawyers work very hard, maybe even to the neglect of family and other priorities. When we’re tired, and some of us stay that way, we all tend to neglect prayer, Bible study, meditation and worship (private and corporate). This week take some time to see if what you treasure most is being honored by how you treat it/her/Him/them. Your relationship with the Lord is worth more than $3.5 million, way more. Don’t leave it out for the thieves! And, don’t let anyone make it into something far less valuable!
Article copyright (c) 2009 by Charles G. Mickey. All rights reserved.
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