Shining in Your Corner*

by Brianna
from Virtuous Daughters, June 2006~Volume 6, Number 3

My Dear Virtuous Daughters, I would like to tell you a little story. There once was a young girl named Carrie Fisher. She came from a poor family so she had to make a
living by washing dishes in the kitchen of a rich family’s home. One day as she was drying some forks and knives, she began singing a song that encouraged Christians to shine in their corner for Christ. As she sang, she realized that she had the opportunity right where she was to shine in her corner. So she became more diligent at her work and made an effort to make each of those forks and knives to sparkle.

While she was singing and working, the cook came into the room. Immediately she noticed that Carrie was quite intent upon the job she was doing. “Carrie, why are you
working so hard over there?” she asked.

“Well, I’m trying to shine in my corner for my Lord Jesus,” she replied.

Quietly the cook went about preparing dinner for the family of the house. As she chopped some carrots, she thought on what Carrie Fisher said. She was a Christian as
well, but somehow it had never occurred to her to perform her daily tasks unto Christ. She purposed in her heart to shine in her corner just like Carrie Fisher. That evening she served a magnificent meal to the Richardsons (for that was the name
of the family who lived there). Mrs. Richardson, after seeing the wonderful
meal on the table, called over the cook to thank her for her extra effort.

“Oh, no ma’am. You need to thank little Carrie Fisher. She’s the one who showed me how to shine in my corner for Jesus,” said the cook after the lady tried to thank her.

“Shine in my corner for Jesus?” thought Mrs. Richardson. “How can I shine in my corner?” Immediately she thought of the Bible study going on at the church that evening. She had planned to go on a walk with her friend, but maybe she should go
and learn more about Christ instead. 

When her friend came to meet her that evening, Mrs. Richardson explained to her that she couldn’t take a walk because she was going to attend the Bible study that evening. Her friend decided to go with her. After the service, the pastor came up
to her to thank her for coming. “It wasn’t really me, Pastor. Carrie Fisher, who washes dishes at my house, is the one who deserves all the praise. She taught me to shine in my corner for Jesus. That’s why I’m here,” replied Mrs. Richardson.

As the pastor was traveling home that evening, he pondered what Mrs. Richardson said. “I know how I can shine in my corner,” he exclaimed, “I will over to see that old man who is sick. Last time I saw him he wasn’t very happy to see me, but I need to
go over there anyway because that’s my corner.”

When the pastor visited this man, he was greeted in a grumpy grumbling sort of way. Yet with true love and compassion, he shared the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The man fell silent as he heard of the love of Jesus and the price He paid for his sins.

“I want to come to Jesus!” cried the man. The pastor, praising God, led him to the cross.

Did you know that this old man was Carrie Fisher’s father? But the story doesn’t end here. When Mrs. Richardson’s friend returned home, she was still thinking about Carrie Fisher and how she could continue to shine in her corner. She decided to send
$1,000 to the poor children in India.

Because of Carrie Fisher and her decision to shine in her corner for Jesus, her daddy was saved and hundreds of children in India were being provided for.

Carrie didn’t know all this had happened because of her, and neither will you ever know the outcome of your decision to follow Christ. Will you shine in your corner for Jesus today?  How can you shine in your corner?

One way to shine in your corner is to encourage those around you by lifting them up and praising them. When a sibling has done something to really irritate you, consider what you will say before you begin railing on them. Your relationship with your siblings and family is much more important than the thing they may have done to you. Be kind and sweet; ask Christ to give you a love for them. Pray for your siblings every day and you will become more and more caring for them. The most important thing for you to remember before you speak is to always stop and think about what you are about to say before you say it. When you put this into practice, you will notice two things: you will be saying much less than you used to, and you will have fewer regrets regarding what you have said in the past.

May I encourage you to shine in your corner today, not only in what you do and how you act, but in what you say as well. “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in
pictures of silver.”—Proverbs 25:11