The Three Trees
Author Unknown
Once upon a mountaintop, three little trees stood and
dreamed about 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 mountaintop 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 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 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 uttered. With a swoop of his 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 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 beam was 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.
God has a plan for you that goes beyond your wildest dreams.
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