The The Parable ofParable ofBAMBOOBAMBOO

The The Parable ofParable ofBAMBOOBAMBOO

Once upon a Once upon a time… time…

in the heart of in the heart of the Eastern the Eastern Kingdom lay a Kingdom lay a beautiful beautiful garden. garden.

And there in And there in the cool of the the cool of the day was the day was the Master of the Master of the garden, who garden, who went for a went for a walk. walk.

Of all the dwellers of the garden, Of all the dwellers of the garden, the most beautiful and beloved the most beautiful and beloved

was a gracious and noble Bamboo.was a gracious and noble Bamboo.

Year after year Bamboo grew yet more Year after year Bamboo grew yet more beautiful and gracious. He was beautiful and gracious. He was

conscious of his Master’s love and conscious of his Master’s love and watchful delight. Yet he was modest and watchful delight. Yet he was modest and

in all things gentle. in all things gentle.

Year after year Bamboo grew yet more Year after year Bamboo grew yet more beautiful and gracious. He was beautiful and gracious. He was

conscious of his Master’s love and conscious of his Master’s love and watchful delight. Yet he was modest and watchful delight. Yet he was modest and

in all things gentle. in all things gentle.

He would lead the He would lead the great dance of the great dance of the garden which most garden which most delighted his Master’s delighted his Master’s heart.heart.

He would lead the He would lead the great dance of the great dance of the garden which most garden which most delighted his Master’s delighted his Master’s heart.heart.

Often when wind came Often when wind came to revel in the garden…to revel in the garden…

Bamboo would Bamboo would throw aside his throw aside his dignity. He would dignity. He would dance and sway dance and sway merrily, tossing and merrily, tossing and swaying and leaping swaying and leaping and bowing in and bowing in joyous abandon.joyous abandon.

Bamboo would Bamboo would throw aside his throw aside his dignity. He would dignity. He would dance and sway dance and sway merrily, tossing and merrily, tossing and swaying and leaping swaying and leaping and bowing in and bowing in joyous abandon.joyous abandon.

One Day…One Day…

The Master himself drew The Master himself drew near to contemplate his near to contemplate his Bamboo. Bamboo. With eyes of curious With eyes of curious expectancy, Bamboo bowed expectancy, Bamboo bowed his great head to the ground his great head to the ground in loving greeting. in loving greeting.

The Master Spoke…The Master Spoke…

““Bamboo, Bamboo, Bamboo… Bamboo… I would use you.” I would use you.”

Bamboo Bamboo said, said,

““Bamboo,” Bamboo,”

““Master, I am Master, I am ready, use me ready, use me as you want.”as you want.”

The Master’s The Master’s voice was voice was grave,grave, ““I would be I would be obliged to take obliged to take you and cut you and cut you down.”you down.”

MeMe, whom You, Master, have , whom You, Master, have made the most beautiful in all made the most beautiful in all of Your garden? To cut me of Your garden? To cut me down? Ah, not that! Not that! down? Ah, not that! Not that! Use me for Your joy, O Master, Use me for Your joy, O Master, but cut me not down!”but cut me not down!”

A trembling of great horror shook A trembling of great horror shook Bamboo.Bamboo.

““Cut ... me ... down?Cut ... me ... down?

““Beloved Beloved Bamboo,”Bamboo,”the Master’s the Master’s voice grew voice grew graver still,graver still, ““if I do not cut if I do not cut you down, then I you down, then I can not use can not use you.”you.”

The garden The garden grew still. grew still.

Wind held his Wind held his breath.breath.

There came a There came a whisper…whisper…

Bamboo Bamboo slowly bent slowly bent

his proud and his proud and glorious head. glorious head.

Bamboo repliedBamboo replied

““Bamboo, beloved Bamboo, I would cut Bamboo, beloved Bamboo, I would cut your leaves and branches from you your leaves and branches from you also.”also.”

““Master, if You cannot use Master, if You cannot use me unless You cut me me unless You cut me down… Then do Your will down… Then do Your will and cut.”and cut.”

““Master, Master, Master, Master, spare me! Cut me spare me! Cut me down and lay my down and lay my beauty in the beauty in the dust, but would dust, but would You take from me You take from me my leaves and my leaves and branches also?”branches also?”

““Bamboo, Bamboo, alas! alas! If I do not cut If I do not cut them away, I them away, I cannot use cannot use you.”you.”

Bamboo shivered in Bamboo shivered in terrible expectancy, terrible expectancy,

whispering low,whispering low,

““Master… cut Master… cut away.” away.”

The Sun hid his face. The Sun hid his face.

A listening A listening butterfly glided butterfly glided fearfully away.fearfully away.

““Bamboo, Bamboo, Bamboo Bamboo

““Master, Master, Master,Master,……then cut then cut and divide.”and divide.”

““I would I would divide you in divide you in two and cut two and cut out your out your heart, …heart, …““for if I do not for if I do not cut so, I cut so, I cannot use cannot use you.”you.”

So did the So did the Master of Master of the garden the garden take take Bamboo and Bamboo and cut him cut him down and down and hack off his hack off his branches branches and strip off and strip off his leaves his leaves and divide and divide him in two him in two … …

and cut out his and cut out his heart. heart.

Lifting him gently, he carried him to Lifting him gently, he carried him to where there was a spring of fresh, where there was a spring of fresh,

sparkling water in the midst of sparkling water in the midst of Master’s dry fields.Master’s dry fields.

Then putting Then putting down one end down one end of Bamboo in of Bamboo in the spring, the spring, and the other and the other end into the end into the water channel water channel in his field, the in his field, the Master laid Master laid down gently down gently his beloved his beloved Bamboo. Bamboo.

The spring The spring sang sang

welcome.welcome.

The clear sparkling The clear sparkling water raced joyously water raced joyously down the channel of down the channel of Bamboo’s torn body Bamboo’s torn body

into the waiting fields into the waiting fields below.below.

Then the rice was Then the rice was planted and the planted and the days went by. days went by.

Then the rice was Then the rice was planted and the planted and the days went by. days went by.

The shoots grew.The shoots grew.The shoots grew.The shoots grew.

The harvest came.The harvest came.

In that day In that day was Bamboo was Bamboo

—once so —once so glorious in his glorious in his

stately stately beauty— yet beauty— yet more glorious more glorious

in his in his brokenness brokenness

and humility. and humility.

In that day In that day was Bamboo was Bamboo

—once so —once so glorious in his glorious in his

stately stately beauty— yet beauty— yet more glorious more glorious

in his in his brokenness brokenness

and humility. and humility.

For in his beauty he was life For in his beauty he was life abundant. But in his abundant. But in his broken-ness he became a broken-ness he became a channel of abundant life to channel of abundant life to his Master’s world!his Master’s world!

For in his beauty he was life For in his beauty he was life abundant. But in his abundant. But in his broken-ness he became a broken-ness he became a channel of abundant life to channel of abundant life to his Master’s world!his Master’s world!

‘Whosoever will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.

‘Whosoever will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.

““And when He had called the people unto And when He had called the people unto Him with His disciples also, He said unto Him with His disciples also, He said unto

them, them, 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 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).

--Author Unknown Copyright (c) 2000 by The Family international.

For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?’“ (Mark 8:34-36).

--Author Unknown Copyright (c) 2000 by The Family international.

You need Him.You need Him.

But so do others!But so do others!

“But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because

they fainted, and were scattered

abroad, as sheep having no

shepherd.”

Matthew 9:36-38

Then saiThen saidd he unto his he unto his disciplesdisciples,,….….

““The harvest truly is plenteous, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are fewbut the labourers are few!”!”

Are you with Me?

“All for One and One for All?”

Just tell Him now:Just tell Him now:

The Master wants to The Master wants to use use youyou too too! Let ! Let

Him into your heart!Him into your heart!

PLEASE PASS THIS ON TO OTHERSPLEASE PASS THIS ON TO OTHERSFor more powerpoints visit For more powerpoints visit

““Dear Jesus! I want to Dear Jesus! I want to be used by you! Come be used by you! Come

into my heart & change into my heart & change me, and make me a me, and make me a

blessing to many. Give blessing to many. Give me eternal life! In Jesus me eternal life! In Jesus

Name, I pray, amen!Name, I pray, amen!

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And GREAT will be your reward And GREAT will be your reward in Heaven!in Heaven!

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