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—Author
Unknown
 nce
upon a time in the heart of the Eastern Kingdom lay a beautiful
garden. And there in the cool of the day was the Master of
the garden, who went for a walk. Of all the dwellers of the
garden, the most beautiful and beloved was a gracious and
noble Bamboo.
Year after year Bamboo grew
yet more beautiful and gracious. He was conscious of his Master's
love and watchful delight. Yet he was modest and in all things
gentle. Often when Wind came to revel in the garden, Bamboo
would throw aside his dignity. He would dance
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and
sway merrily, tossing and swaying and leaping and bowing in
joyous abandon. He would lead the great dance of the garden
which most delighted his Master's heart.
One day the Master himself drew
near to contemplate his Bamboo. With eyes of curious expectancy,
Bamboo bowed his great head to the ground in loving greeting.
The Master spoke: "Bamboo, Bamboo, I would use you."
Bamboo said, "Master, I am
ready, use me as you want."
"Bamboo," the Master's
voice was grave, "I would be obliged to take you and cut
you down." A trembling of great horror shook Bamboo.
"Cut ... me ... down? Me,
whom You, Master, have made the most beautiful in all of Your
garden? To cut me down? Ah, not that! Not that! Use me for Your
joy, O Master, but cut me not down!"
"Beloved Bamboo," the
Master's voice grew graver still, "if I do not cut you
down, then I cannot use you."
The garden grew still. Wind held
his breath. Bamboo slowly bent his proud and glorious head.
There came a whisper. Bamboo replied, "Master, if You cannot
use me unless You cut me down, then do Your will and cut."
"Bamboo, beloved Bamboo,
I would cut your leaves and branches from you also."
"Master, Master, spare me!
Cut me down and lay my beauty in the dust, but would You take
from me my leaves and branches also?"
"Bamboo, alas! If I do not
cut them away, I cannot use you." The Sun hid his face.
A listening butterfly glided fearfully away.
Bamboo shivered in terrible expectancy,
whispering low, "Master, cut away."
"Bamboo, Bamboo, I would
divide you in two and cut out your heart, for if I do not cut
so, I cannot use you."
"Master, Master, then cut
and divide."
So did the Master of the garden
take Bamboo and cut him down and hack off his branches and strip
off his leaves and divide him in two and cut out his heart.
Lifting him gently, he carried him to where there was a spring
of fresh, sparkling water in the midst of Master's dry fields. |
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Then
putting down one end of Bamboo in the spring, and the other
end into the water channel in his field, the Master laid down
gently his beloved Bamboo. The spring sang welcome. The clear
sparkling water raced joyously down the channel of Bamboo's
torn body into the waiting fields.
Then the rice was planted and
the days went by. The
shoots grew. The harvest came. In that day was Bamboo, once
so glorious in his stately beauty, yet more |
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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!
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"And
when He had called the people unto Him with His disciples
also, He said unto them, 'Whosoever will come after Me, let
him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For
whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever
shall lose his life for My sake and the Gospel's, the same
shall save it. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall
gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?'" (Mark
8:34-36).
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