PSALM
51:16-17
Once upon a time, in the
heart of an ancient Kingdom, there was a beautiful garden. Of all the plants of
the garden, the most beautiful and most beloved was a gracious and noble
bamboo. Year after year, bamboo grew yet more noble and gracious, conscious of
his the garden Master’s love and watchful delight. And whenever the wind blew the Bamboo would
dance and play, tossing and swaying and bowing in joy, which delighted Master’s
heart.
One day, the Master came
to his Bamboo and said, “Bamboo, Bamboo, I would use you.” Bamboo flung his
head to the sky in utter delight. The day of days had come, the day for which
he had been made, the day to which he had been growing hour by hour, the day in
which he would find his completion and his destiny. His voice came low:
“Master, I’m ready. Use me as you wish.”
“Bamboo,” The Master’s
voice was grave “I would have to take you and cut you down!”
A trembling of great
horror shook Bamboo…”Cut …me… down ? Me.. whom you, Master, has made the most
beautiful in all thy Garden…cut me down! Ah, not that. Not that. Use me for the
joy, use me for the glory, oh master, but do not cut me down!”
“Beloved Bamboo,” The
Master’s voice grew graver still “If I do not cut you down, I cannot use you.”
The garden grew still.
Wind held his breath. Bamboo slowly bent his proud and glorious head. There was
a whisper: “Master, if you cannot use me other than to cut me down.. then do
your will and cut”.
“Bamboo, beloved Bamboo,
I would cut your leaves and branches from you also”.
“Master, spare me. Cut me
down and lay my beauty in the dust; but would you also have to take from me my
leaves and branches too?”
“Bamboo, if I do not cut
them away, I cannot use you.”
The Sun hid his face. A
listening butterfly glided fearfully away. And Bamboo shivered in terrible
expectancy, whispering low: “Master, cut away”
“Bamboo, Bamboo, I would
yet… split you in two and cut out your heart, for if I cut not so, I cannot use
you.”
Then Bamboo bowed to the
ground: “Master, Master… then cut and split.”
So did the Master of the
garden took Bamboo… and cut him down…
and hacked off his branches…and stripped off his leaves…
and split him in two… and cut out his heart.
and hacked off his branches…and stripped off his leaves…
and split him in two… and cut out his heart.
And lifting him gently,
the Master carried Bamboo to where there was a spring of fresh sparkling water
in the midst of his dry fields. Then putting one end of the broken Bamboo in
the spring and the other end into the water channel in the field, the Master
gently laid down his beloved Bamboo…
And the spring sang
welcome, and the clear sparkling waters raced joyously down the channel of
bamboo’s torn body into the waiting fields. Then the rice was planted, and the
days went by, and the shoots grew and the harvest came.
In that day Bamboo, once
so glorious in his stately beauty, was yet more glorious in his brokenness and
humility. For in his beauty he was life abundant, but in his brokenness he
became a channel of abundant life to his Master’s world.
(Author Unknown)
Dear God, use me for your glory just as you sacrificed
your Son to save me. Amen
Amazing - Lord, cut me and use me as You see fit!
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