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"THE THREE TREES"
Once upon a mountaintop, 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 its way to the ocean. "I want to be traveling the 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 mountaintop 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 rains 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 swoops of his
shining axe, the first tree fell. "Now I shall be made into
a beautiful chest, I shall hold wonderful treasure!" the tree
thought.
The second woodcutter looked at the second tree and said,
"This tree is strong. It is perfect for me." With swoops
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 swoops
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 or filled with treasure. She was coated
with sawdust 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 sawed and hammered into
a simple fishing boat. She was too small and too weak to
sail 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 mountaintop and point to God..."
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 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 small 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 the wind and rain.
The tired man awakened. He stood up, stretched out his
hand and said, "Peace, be still." The storm stopped
as quickly as it had begun. 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 everytime people thought of the third tree,
they would think of God. That was better than being
the tallest tree in the world.
--submitted by Lady Millie
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"Where there is hate, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light."
- St. Francis of Assisi (1182-1226)
Italian religious leader
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