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."

Then the second tree said,
"Someday I will be a mighty ship.
I will take kings and queens 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 and straighest tree
in the forest. People will see me on top of the hill
and 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
come upon the trees. When one came
to the first tree he said,

"This looks like a strong tree,
I think I should be able to
sell the wood to a carpenter" ...

and he began cutting it down.
The tree was happy,
because he knew that the carpenter
would make him into a treasure chest.

At the second tree a woodsman said,
"This looks like a strong tree,
I should be able to sell it to the shipyard."
The second tree was happy,
because he knew he was on his way
to becoming a mighty ship fit for a king.

When the woodsmen came upon the third tree,
the tree was frightened
because he knew that if they cut him down
his 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,
he was made into a feed box for animals.
He was then placed in a barn and filled with hay.
This was not at all what he had prayed for.

The second tree was cut
and made into a small fishing boat.
His dreams of being a mighty ship
and carrying kings had come to an end.

The third tree was cut into large pieces
and left alone in the dark.

The years went by,
and the trees forgot about their dreams.

Then one day, a man and woman came to the barn.
She gave birth and they placed the baby in the hay
in the feed box that was made from the first tree.
The man wished that 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 in the fishing boat made from the second tree.
One of them was 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 men woke the sleeping man,
and he stood and said
"Peace" and the storm stopped.
At this time, the tree knew that it had carried
the King of Kings in its 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 come to a stop,
the man was nailed to the tree and raised in the air
to die at the top of a hill.
When Sunday came, the tree came to realize
that it was strong enough to stand at the top of the hill
and be as close to God as was possible,
because Jesus 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 got 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 are not our ways,
but His ways are always best.

--Author Unknown

Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the LORD with all your heart 
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.