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 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 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.
