The Three Trees

Once there were three trees on a hill in the woods.  They were discussing their hopes and dreams when the first tree said "Someday I hope to be a treasure chest.  I could be filled with gold, silver, and precious gems.  I could be decorated with intricate carving and everyone would see the beauty."

The second tree said, "Someday I will be a mighty ship.  I will take kings and queens across 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, straightest tree in the forest.  People will see me on top of the hill, 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.  One came to the first tree and said, "This looks like a strong tree, I should be able to sell it's wood to a carpenter"... and he began cutting it down.  The tree was happy because it knew that the carpenter would make it into a treasure chest.

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

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

When the first tree arrived at the carpenters, it was made into a feed box for animals.  It was then placed into a barn and filled with hay.  This was not at all what it had prayed for.  The second tree was cut up and made into a small fishing boat.  It's dreams of being a mighty ship and carrying kings had come to an end.  The third tree was cut up into large pieces and left alone in the dark.  Years went by and the trees forgot about their dreams.

One day a man and a woman came to the barn.  She gave birth to a baby boy and they placed the baby in the hay in the box made from the first tree. The man wished 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 into the fishing boat that had been made from the second tree.  One of them was very 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 othen men woke the sleeping man and he stood and said, "Peace", and the storm stopped.  It was then the tree knew it carried the King of Kings on 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 to die at the top of a hill.  When Sunday came, the tree realized that it was strong enough to stand at the top of the hill and be as close to God as possible because Jesus Christ 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 had gotten what they wanted, just not in the way they had imagined.  We don't always know what God's plans are for us, we just know that His ways aren't always our ways, but His ways are best.

author unknown

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