vichitra
December 30th, 2002, 12:24 PM
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 and be decorated with intricate
> carvings. 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 to the corners of other 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 straightest 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 andhow
> 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 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, one of the other 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.
>
> When the woodsmen came upon the third tree, the tree
> was frightened, because it knew that, if it was cut
> down, its 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 carpenter's, he
> was made into a feed box for animals, 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.
> Then 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, and the crowd mocked
> the man who was carrying it. Finally, 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.
> 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 and be decorated with intricate
> carvings. 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 to the corners of other 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 straightest 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 andhow
> 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 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, one of the other 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.
>
> When the woodsmen came upon the third tree, the tree
> was frightened, because it knew that, if it was cut
> down, its 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 carpenter's, he
> was made into a feed box for animals, 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.
> Then 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, and the crowd mocked
> the man who was carrying it. Finally, 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.