Photo and Commentary ©2024 by Shelley Schurch
Sunday, October 13, 2024
As we rounded the corner into a cul-de-sac on our morning walk, I stopped in sudden admiration of a bright yellow plant. “Look,” I exclaimed to my husband, “this really brightens this corner!”
And a song began playing in my head, a song from a long-ago children’s songbook, Happy Songs for Boys and Girls. I still have a copy, and enjoyed revisiting its pages last night. I remembered such favorites as, “Dare to be a Daniel,” “Roll, Roll Your Burdens Away,” and “Let Us Sing the Books of Moses.”
Without even looking at the book, I could have told you what song #100 was, and how I didn’t think it belonged in a book of “Happy Songs.” It was much too mournful. It begins like this, “Into a tent where a gypsy boy lay, dying alone at the end of the day . . . .” I had a lot of questions about this sad scenario, such as, “Why was this boy dying alone? Where were the grown-ups? What was his health problem?”
This was definitely not the song that started playing in my head when we saw the bright yellow plant; it was, instead, the sprightly song, “Brighten the Corner Where You Are.” * This song has three verses, but it’s the last one that plays on repeat in my mind:
Here for all your talent you may surely find a need,
Here reflect the Bright and Morning Star.
Even from your humble hand the Bread of Life may feed,
Brighten the corner where you are.
The yellow plant finds itself in humble surroundings, mostly weathered beauty bark and scruffy greenery. Not only that, it is directly across the street from the most beautiful front yard in the neighborhood, totally given over to a profusion of beautiful flowers, especially roses of all heights and colors.
Unconcerned by comparison, our humble plant still brightens its corner, across the street.
Many years ago I introduced the “Brighten the Corner” song during Children’s Corner at church, and we talked about ways we could brighten people’s lives. A few weeks later, a woman met me at the sanctuary door and handed me a business card.
Not any old business card – this was my business card! She had designed and printed a card just for me that gave me the title of: “Shelley Schurch, Corner-Brightener”! I laughed with delight! I still carry this card with me in my purse, as a reminder that I don’t need a long and impressive resume in order to be useful to the Lord. Just shine, Shelley, shine!
Because it’s really all about Him, isn’t it? The song invites us to “here reflect the Bright and Morning Star.” Only six verses away from the conclusion of the Bible, Jesus says:
“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of Dvid, the Bright and Morning Star.” And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely. (Revelation 22:16-17 NKJV)
As we step out into this brand-new week, just think about the awesomeness of what we’re invited to do:
Shine reflected light,
drink deeply from life-giving water,
and repeat His invitation to everyone who is thirsty.
Shine, drink, invite. “You in your small corner, and I in mine.”
*Lyrics by Ina D. Ogdon, music by Charles Gabriel, ©1941
**Concluding line of “Jesus Bids Us Shine,” lyrics by Susan B. Warner, music by Edwin O. Excell, public domain