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 the 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 by. The rains came, the sun shone, the little trees
grew
tall. One day three woodcutters climbed upon to the mountaintop.
The
first woodcutter looked at the first tree and said, "This tree
is
beautiful. It's the perfect tree 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 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
ax, the
second tree fell. "Now I shall said mighty waters!" thought the
second tree. "I shall be a strong ship for mighty kings!"
But the third 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 he brought her to a carpenter's
shop.
But the carpenter made it into a feed box for animals. The once
beautiful tree was not covered with gold nor filled 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 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," said the third tree.
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 then
the first
tree
knew she 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 big 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 the wind and
the
rain. The tired man awakened. He stood up, stretched out his
hand,
and said, "Peace, be still." Then the storm stopped as quickly
as it
had begun. And suddenly the second tree knew he was carrying the
King of
both 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 crowd. She shuddered when the soldiers nailed a
man's hands and feet 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. She was a tree that
pointed
bravely to Heaven.
So, the next time you feel down because you didn't get what you
wanted, just sit tight and be happy because God is thinking of
something better to give you.
Once upon a mountaintop, three little trees stood and dreamt of
what
they
wanted to become when they grew up.