Three Trees

Once there were three trees on a hill in a woods.
They were discussing their hopes and dreams when
the first tree said "Someday I hope to be a trea-
sure chest."

"I could be filled with gold, silver and precious
gems. I could be decorated with intricate carving
and everyone would see the beauty."

Then the second tree said "Someday I will be a-
mighty ship. I will take kings and queens across
the waters and sail to the corners of the world.
Everyone will feel safe in me because of the
strength of my hull."

Finally the third tree said. "I want to grow to
be the tallest and straightest tree in the forest.
People will see me on top of the hill and look-
up to my branches, and think of the heavens and
God and how close to them I am reaching. I will
be the greatest tree of all time and people will
always remember me."

                 ---

After a few years of praying that their dreams
would come true, a group of woodsmen came upon
the trees. When one came to the first tree he
said, "This looks like a strong tree, I think
I should be able to sell the wood to a carpenter."
and he began cutting it down. The tree was happy,
because he knew that the carpenter would make him
into a treasure chest.

At the second tree a woodsman said, "This looks
like a strong tree, I should be able to sell it
to the shipyard." The second tree was happy
because he knew he was on his way to becoming
a mighty ship.

When the woodsmen came upon the third tree,
the tree was frightened because he knew that
if they cut him down his dreams would not come
true. One of the woodsman said, "I don’t need
anything special from this tree so I’ll take
this one and he cut it down."

                ---

When the first tree arrived at the carpenters,
he was made into a feed box for animals. He was
then placed in a barn and filled with hay. This
was not at all what he had prayed for.

The second tree was cut and made into a small
fishing boat. His dreams of being a mighty ship
and carrying kings had come to an end.

The third tree was cut into large pieces and
left alone in the dark.

                ---

The years went by, and the trees forgot about
their dreams. Then one day, a man and women came
to the barn. She gave birth and they placed the
baby in the hay in the feed box that was made
from the first tree.

The man wished that he could have made a crib
for the baby, but this manger would have to do.
The tree could feel the importance of this event
and knew that it had held the greatest treasure
of all time.

Years later, a group of men got in the fishing
boat made from the second tree. One of them was
tired and went to sleep.

While they were out on the water, a great storm
arose and the tree didn’t think it was strong
enough to keep the men safe.

The men woke the sleeping man, and he stood
and said "peace" and the storm stopped.

At this time, the tree knew that it had carried
the King of Kings in it’s boat.

Finally, someone came and got the third tree.
It was carried through the streets as the people
mocked the man who was carrying it.

When they came to a stop, the man was nailed to
the tree and raised in the air to die at the
top of a hill.

When Sunday came, the tree came to realize that
it was strong enough to stand at the top of the
hill and be as close to God as was possible,
because Jesus had been crucified on it.

                ---


The moral of this story is that when things don’t
seem to be going your way, always know that God
has a plan for you.

If you place your trust in Him, He will give you
great gifts. Each of the trees got what they
wanted, just not in the way they had imagined.