In 1921, Myra Brooks Welch’s poem “The Old Violin,” sometimes called “The Touch of the Master’s Hand,” was first published — anonymously — in her church’s bulletin.

The poem presents a powerful parable: an auctioneer lifts up a broken violin and tries to get the bidding started. Most of the people in the crowd laugh. The violin is old and obviously in poor condition. They see no value in it.

One person in the crowd finally calls out, saying they will give the auctioneer a dollar for the old violin. Lackluster bidding follows.

Then an old man walks forward. He takes the violin in his hands and begins to play. Beautiful music pours forth. The crowd listens, awed. Some even have tears in their eyes when the old man stops playing and the auctioneer once again holds the violin up for everyone to see.

The bidding then starts at a thousand dollars… and rapidly goes up from there!

So what made the difference? “The touch of the Master’s hand.”

Our lives are a lot like that old violin. On our own, we are nothing. But when the maestro of our lives, who is God, is allowed to display our true worth, we become beautiful and valuable. We become instruments of His work and can do all things through Him who gives us strength.