Hello family and friends. The following story, “The Story of Three Trees” will help us trust in God more every day in the midst of the storms of life we all are facing. We are thankful!
Once there were three trees standing on a hill. They were discussing their hopes and dreams. The first tree said, “Someday I hope to be a treasure chest, filled with gold, silver, and precious gems, decorated with intricate carving, and everyone would see my beauty.” The second tree said, “Someday I will be a mighty ship. I will take kings and queens across the waters and sail around world. Everyone will feel safe in me because of the strength of my hull.” 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 and look up and think of heaven 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 think I will sell the wood to a carpenter,” and he cut 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 will sell it to the shipyard.” The second tree was happy because he knew he was going to become a mighty ship. 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.
The first tree was fashioned 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. The woman gave birth, and placed the baby in the feed box that was made from the first tree. The man wished that he could have made a crib for his Son, but this manger would have to do. The tree could feel the importance of this event and knew that it held Jesus, 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 be still” and the storm stopped. Then the tree knew that it was carrying 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 carried it. When they reached the top of the hill, the man was nailed to the tree and raised in the air to die. 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 meaning of this story is that when things don’t seem to be going our way, we need to know that God has a plan for us. We must place our trust in him knowing that He will provide. Each of the trees got what they wanted, just not in the way they had imagined.
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