"Brighten the Corner"

Have you heard the song, "Brighten the Corner Where You Are"?  Here's the first verse:
Do not wait until some deed of greatness you may do
Do not wait to spread your light afar
To the many duties ever near you now be true,
Brighten the corner, where you are!
Being in the ministry is a different kind of life.  You would like for every effort to be a big effort with big results when God has another economy for living.  It is the day-by-day, unseen, seemingly small tasks that face us every minute.   I love a quote that one of my friends places at the bottom of every email -  “The smallest deed is better than the greatest intention.” - John Burroughs.
We may have ideas of great big tasks for God when God might have a series of a million small ones for us to do for His glory.
Thinking this way will make every thing we do a happy event.  We can accomplish much in small increments, rather than the epic project that never seems to end.  Here are some ways to "brighten your corner":

• pray for your family, church friends, co-labourers in the ministry
• send an email to a missionary or someone serving the Lord who lives far away
• send a birthday card
• send an encouraging note to a shut-in or the caregiver of a shut-in
• cook a great meal for your family
• bake cookies for your kids
• practice your music skills for His glory
• think of someone in your church specifically when choosing a song, special, or offertory - let them know the song is for them
• smile and greet people you don't know
• welcome a new church member or new Christian - remember their name! Ask them what their favorite church song is and try to include it in the prelude or church service.

We musicians can be hard on ourselves.  The group may just not "get it just right", the microphones just aren't perfect, our hands and voices don't cooperate with our brains, sickness sweeps through the music department one singer at a time over a period of three months, etc....  Our big dreams of being the best for God go through the meat grinder.  God doesn't want that, He wants the daily devotion, the sacrifice of giving the best we can possibly do, and our trusting hearts when the schedules have to be changed.
"Brighten the Corner" where you are, when you're there, in every way you can!!!!