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Once upon a mountain top, three little trees stood and dreamed of what they wanted to become when they grew up.
The first little tree looked up at the stars and
said: "I want to hold treasure. I want to be covered with gold and filled with precious stones. I'll be the most beautiful treasure chest in the world!"
The second little tree looked out at the small stream trickling by on its way to the ocean. "I
want to be traveling mighty waters and carrying powerful kings. I'll be the strongest ship in the world!"
The third little tree looked down into the valley below where busy men and women worked in a busy town. "I don't want to leave the mountain top
at all. I want to grow so tall that when people stop to look at me, they'll raise their eyes to heaven and think of God. I will be the tallest tree in the world!"
Years passed. Then rain came, the sun shone, and the little trees grew tall. One day
three woodcutters climbed the mountain.
The first wood cutter looked at the first tree and said, "This tree is beautiful. It is perfect for me." With a swoop of his shining ax, the first tree fell. "Now I shall be made into a beautiful chest, I
shall hold wonderful treasure!"
The second wood cutter looked at the second tree and said, "This tree is so strong. It is perfect for me." With a swoop of his shining ax, the second tree fell. "Now I shall sail mighty waters!", thought the second
tree. "I shall be a strong ship for mighty Kings!"
The third tree felt her heart sink when the last woodcutter looked her way. She stood straight and tall and pointed bravely to heaven. But the woodcutter never even looked up. "Any kind of tree
will do for me," he muttered. With a swoop of his shining ax, the third tree fell.
The first tree rejoiced when the woodcutter brought her to a carpenter's shop. But the carpenter fashioned the tree into a feed box for animals. The once beautiful
tree was not covered with gold, nor with treasure. She was coated with sawdust and filled with hay for hungry farm animals.
The second tree smiled when the woodcutter took her to a shipyard, but no mighty sailing ship was made that day. Instead the
once strong tree was hammered and sawed into a simple fishing boat. She was too small and too weak to sail to an ocean, or even a river; instead she was taken to a little lake.
The third tree was confused when the woodcutter cut her into strong beams
and left her in a lumberyard, "What happened?", the once tall tree wondered. "All I ever wanted was to stay on the mountain top and point to God. . ."
Many many days and nights passed. The three trees nearly forgot their dreams. But one night,
golden starlight poured over the first tree as a young woman placed her newborn baby in the feed box. "I wish I could make a cradle for him", her husband whispered. The mother squeezed his hand and smiled as the starlight shone on the smooth and sturdy
wood. "This manger is beautiful", she said. And suddenly the first tree knew he was holding the greatest treasure in the world.
One evening a tired traveler and his friends crowded into the old fishing boat. The traveler fell asleep as the second
tree quietly sailed out into the lake. Soon a thundering and thrashing storm arose. The little tree shuddered. She knew she did not have the strength to carry so many passengers safely through with the wind and the rain. The storm stopped as quickly
as it had begun. And suddenly the second tree knew he was carrying the king of heaven and earth.
On Friday morning, the third tree was startled when her beams were yanked from the forgotten woodpile. She flinched as she was carried through an angry
jeering crowd. She shuddered when soliders nailed a man's hands to her. She felt ugly and harsh and cruel. But on Sunday morning, when the sun rose and the earth trembled with joy beneath her, the third tree knew that God's love had changed
everything. It had made the third tree strong. And every time people thought of the third tree, they would think of God. That was better than being the tallest tree in the world.
So next time you feel down because you didn't get what you want, just
sit tight and be happy because God is thinking of something better to give you. . .
-Anonymous |
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