Maximizing Your Potential

Chapter Six

Share Your Potential Giving is the greatest evidence of true freedom. It is more productive to give than receive (see Acts 20:35). Silently the orchestra waited. What would this new masterpiece of their beloved conductor be like? He had promised that it would be different from anything he had ever written. As each player received his part, he looked at it in surprise. Although each score contained some notes, there were many more rests than notes. All assumed the other instruments must have the lead part for the piece. When they started to play, however, it soon became evident that no one had the lead. The trumpets would play for a few measures, then the trombones, after which the clarinets or the flutes picked up the tune. Although it was true that the parts had some resemblance to each other, no clear melody was evident. The longer the musicians played, the stranger the music became, but they kept playing because it seemed to be what the conductor expected. After five minutes of each instrument playing a few notes here and there, the conductor laid down his baton and looked at the musicians. “What is wrong?” he asked. “Don’t you like the music?” Quickly the members of the orchestra looked at each other. What should they say? No, they did not like the piece, for it had none of the beauty and grandeur they had come to expect in the maestro’s music. Rather than hurt their leader’s feelings, they said nothing. Then the maestro started to laugh. “Wait,” he said, “I will be right back.” When he returned, his arms were again filled with music. Once more he moved through the orchestra, giving each player a score. This time when he lifted his baton, anticipation filled each face. Although the scores still contained rests, they were considerably fewer and they seemed to be at fitting places. After the orchestra had played for a few minutes, the conductor stopped them and asked, “Do you understand what I have done? If you look at the notes on the