THE THREE TREES
>> >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
>
>> >it's 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. The rain came, the sun shone, and the little trees
grew
>> >tall. One day three woodcutters climbed the mountain.
>> >The first woodcutter looked at the first tree and said, "This tree is
>> >beautiful.
>> > It is perfect for me." With a swoop of his shining
>> >axe, the first tree fell.
>> >
>> >
>> > "Now I shall be made into a beautiful chest, I shall hold wonderful
>> >treasures.
>> > The first tree said.
>> >
>> >The second woodcutter looked at the second tree and said, "This tree
is
>
>> >strong.
>> > It is perfect for me." With a swoop of his
>> >shining axe, 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
>> >axe, 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 feedbox for animals.
>> >
>> >
>> >The once beautiful tree was not covered with gold, with treasure.
She
>
>> >was
>> >coated with saw dust 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 feedbox.
>> >
>> >
>> >"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
>> > the 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 tired man awakened. He stood up, stretched out his hand, and said,
>
>> >"Peace."
>> > The storm stopped as quickly as it had begun.
>> >
>> >
>> >And suddenly the second tree knew he was carrying the king of heaven
and
>
>> >earth.
>> >
>> >
>> >One 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
>> >soldiers
>> >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.
>> > |
