The Master stood in His garden
Among the lilies fair,
Which His own right hand had planted
And trained with tenderest care.
“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 on the pathway,
Empty and frail and small,
An earthen vessel was lying
Which 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.”
So to the fountain He took it
And filled it to the brim;
How glad was the earthen vessel
To be of some use to Him.
He watered the droopy lilies
Until they revived again;
And the Master saw with pleasure
That His labor had not been in vain.
To itself the vessel whispered,
As He laid it aside once more:
“Still will I lie in His pathway,
Just where I did before.
“Close would I keep to the Master;
Empty would I remain;
And perhaps someday He may use me
To water His flowers again.”
Author Unknown