"An Earthen Vessel"

"An Earthen Vessel"

The Master stood in His garden,

Among His lilies fair,

Which His own right hand had planted

And trained with tenderest care.

He looked at their snowy blossoms

And marked with observant eye

That His lilies were sadly drooping

For their leaves were parched and dry.

My lilies need to be watered,”

The Heavenly master said.

“Wherein shall I draw it for them

And raise each drooping head?”

Close to His feet in the pathway

Empty and frail and small,

An earthen vessel was lying

That seemed of no use at all.

But the Master saw and raised it

From the dust in which it lay,

And smiled as He gently whispered,

“This shall do My work today.

“’Tis only an earthen vessel

But it lay so close to me.

It is small, but it is empty;

That is all it needs to be.”

So to the fountain He took it

And filled it full to the brim.

How glad was the earthen vessel

To be of some use to Him!

He poured forth the living water

Over His lilies fair,

Until the vessel was empty,

And again he filled it there.

He watered His drooping lilies

Until they revived again,

And the Master saw with pleasure

That His labor had not been vain.

His own hand had drawn the water

That refreshed the thirsty flowers,

But He used the earthen vessel

To carry the living showers.

And to itself it whispered

As He laid it aside once more,

“Still will I keep to the pathway

Just as I was before.

“Close will I keep to the Master.

Empty will I remain;

And someday He may use me

To water His lilies again.”

            --author unknown