A little Zeal goes a long way.

After all the snow of the past month, I just could not resist stopping and enjoying the beauty of these lovely crocus growing in my front garden. it was as if they were reaching out reminding me that spring is here and the winter will soon be no more than a memory. Quietly with little song or dance, they have underneath the snow pushed up through the soil to brighten the day.

I came in and as I sat and painted them I listened to Spring from the Four Seasons. My mind wandered back to the many concerts of the Berlin I have watched since Christmas. A great variety of conductors each with their own interpretations of the music and each with their own way of bringing out the best of the orchestra. The older gentleman who conducted the Japanese Youth Orchestra, a bit shaky on his legs requiring support behind him as he gently conducted with little movement or expression, yet it was so clear that he was in control of the orchestra and its music.

Then Sir Simon Rattle, full of expression and much movement of his arms and the obvious tension as he tried to bring out the best from his orchestra. The sweat running from his brow. 

I read of one conductor who dislocated his shoulder while conducting the famous 1812 Overture. 

I wondered and asked myself sadly, "Did I ever dislocate anything, even a necktie?" I am not sure that I have ever given anything so much of myself at any one time. I would, of course, like to think that I had. I would like to think that during my life some things have mattered enough to bring out a sense of zeal. 

That being said there has to be a measure of the amount of zeal, for an overabundance can bring the wrong end result. 

A minister friend tells the story of one of his members who was caught up in an evangelising sense of zeal. Sadly the member was bereft of a sense of timing to go with his zeal.The man so often got carried away that he forgot to consider all the consequences.

He worked in the local barbershop. One day he was busy soaping up a customer for a warm shave. The customer was looking like a good version of Santa Clause with a beautiful face of lather. The church member approached him with a very sharp open razor in his outstretched hand, he looked at the customer straight in the eye and asked, " Are you prepared to meet your God?"

The customer was last seen running down the High Street with shaving foam like snow flying behind him.

Of course, when you do something do it to the very best of your ability but always remeber the time and the place when you do so. 

Have a marvellous day.