Unusable
THE STORY
While attending a camp meeting in August of 2017, I heard a sermon on the feeding of the 5,000. When Bro. Jon Bishop beautifully said (towards the beginning of his sermon), “At the point of breaking they [the loaves of bread] were multiplied,” I was off writing this song. I didn’t have a pen or paper with me, so I’m sure anyone looking on thought I was texting in church. 🙈 By the end of the sermon, this song was nearly complete. I worked on it some more sitting on the floor of the bathroom in the hotel room where our family was staying (trying not to disturb my sleeping family). Since I was traveling without an instrument, I finished writing the music on my guitar once I got home.
Several lines throughout the song had been “germinating” for many years, but hadn’t found their way into a song just right. Especially influencing the picture set in my mind as I wrote this song was “The Story of Bamboo.” You can find this story expressed in different ways online, but I can find no author listed for this delicately-told tale. My brother Martin Barnard (who first introduced me to this story more than a decade ago) combined several different versions of this story to craft the one I’m sharing with you here.
The Story of Bamboo
Once upon a time 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 Bamboo. Year after year Bamboo grew yet more beautiful and he was conscious of his Master’s love and watchful delight. Yet he was modest and gentle. Often when Wind came to revel in the garden, Bamboo would throw aside his dignity and dance 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 drew near to contemplate His beloved 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 horror shook Bamboo. “Cut… me… down? Me, whom You, Master, have made beautiful in 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 don’t cut you down, I cannot use you.”
The garden grew still. Wind held his breath. Bamboo slowly bent his proud 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 the Master of the garden took Bamboo and cut him down and hacked off his branches and stripped off his leaves and divided 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. Putting down one end of Bamboo in the spring, and the other 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 now 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!
“Leave me empty
Though I once was full
Leave me broken
Where I once was whole
But Jesus, sweet Jesus,
Don’t leave me unusable”
THE SONG
“Unusable”
1. I told Him He could use me
My life was His to spend
But I felt my hands wrap tightly
‘Round the heart He chose to rend
I asked Him for His reasons
Did I really need to part
With the things that lay so closely
To the center of my heart
2. He led me to a valley
Of dry and barren earth
He showed to me a people
Starving from the dearth
Tears filled my eyes, I spread my hands
“Lord, what can I do?
To bring these people water
To give these people food?”
3. Again He cut me sharply
From the things I loved the best
And He told me as He broke me
”You will be these people’s bread
I am breaking you to bless you
So the hungry here can eat
I am cutting you to make you
A channel for their drink”
Chorus
“If I don't wound you
I can't use you
If I don't empty you
I can't flow through you
If I don't break you
I can't bless you”
So leave me empty
Though I once was full
Leave me broken
Where I once was whole
But Jesus, sweet Jesus,
Don't leave me unusable
Bridge:
It's in the dying of the seed
That there's new life
It's in the breaking of the bread
That we are multiplied
So leave me empty
Though I once was full
Leave me broken
Where I once was whole
But Jesus, sweet Jesus,
Don't leave me unusable
Words and music © Merilee Barnard August 10, 2017