When I had ruined my life beyond repair,
I called to the Master, He met me there.
He pulled me from the miry clay,
and gave to me a brand new day.

He had tried my whole life through
to use me while I played and dabbled
Daily, more of a professional christian I grew
going through the motions, verily unstable.

I knew when to raise my hands, yell hallelujah and stand,
I knew when to arrive, and with my friends to socialize,
How to pray and be 'in the spirit,' to wave my hand
how to dress, walk and talk - essentially be a lie.

But my life was in bits and pieces, my vessel broken,
charred and hardened in the fire, no use could be found,
bluffing my way through, loudly outspoken
inwardly cowering, searching, I had run aground.

But who could soften pieces of clay that had been fired
through the fires of life, now broken, unusable and hard
usually they were cast away in the potters field
good for nothing but a dunghill.

Soiled beyond use, defiled, unholy, unwanted, shamed
shunned, no direction, and belief in the God I'd profaned
with all this riding on my shoulders,
it was no surprise when I foundered

Sinking into depths of despair,
my heart still not surrendered
unusable even by God,
upon uneven paths I trod

Then one day when I was broken
completely, my will yielded and still
no more tears for weeping, no token
laying on the ground, no more self will

He came to me there,
I lay in repentance, empty and bare
and He whispered 'you're finally where
I can use you, no longer a tare

Your cross now I'll gladly bear'
giving me a soft heart
a brand new start
to be genuine, I now truly care

He took this old heart of hardened, stiff clay,
placed all the pieces back the right way
a soft heart, pliable, no more hate
a right spirit, a bright new day.

Only when I was broken, my will cast away,
only when I could not continue in my own way
was He able to place my feet solidly, no sway
on the Rock, His way, to stay.