A tree can't wait to grow up and achieve great things, rather than appreciate the present.
Far away on a hillside
grew a forest of trees..
little and big,
old and young,
tall and small.
The trees were very
happy with life just
as it was on the
hillside.
They loved the warm
sunlight of summer,
spring's cool silvery
rains, the gorgeous
reds and golds of autumn
and winter's blanket
of glistening snow.
But sometimes, too,
they spoke of the
future, of the things
they would like to do
and be when they
grew up.
In this forest there
was a mother tree
and her 3 children.
One said, "You know,
I should like to be
a baby's cradle.
I have seen people
come into this forest
carrying babies in
their arms.
I think a baby is the
sweetest thing I have
ever seen, and I
should like to be made
into a baby's bed."
The second tree
spoke. "That would
not please me at all.
I want to be something
important.
I should like to cross
many waters and
carry cargoes of gold."
The third little tree
stood off by himself,
apparently in deep
reflection but he did
not speak.
"And what would you
like to be?" asked the
mother tree. "Have
you no dream for the
future?" "No dream,"
he answered, "except
to point men to God.
What could a tree
do better than that?"
Years passed and the 3
little trees grew up to
be beautiful tall
trees. One day men
came to the and cut
down the first tree.
"I wonder whether I shall
be made into a baby's
cradle now. I hope so.
I have waited so
long," he whispered.
But the little tree
was not made into a
cradle. Instead, it was
cut into rough
pieces and carelessly
put together to form
a manger in Bethlehem.
He was heartbroken.
"I do not like this at
all," he wailed.
"This is not what I
planned to be-
shoved into this dark
stable with no one to
see me but the
cattle."
But God, who loved the
little trees, whispered,
"Wait, I will show
you something."
And he did.
For there were in the
same country, shepherds
abiding in the field,
keeping watch over
their flock by night.
And so, the angel of
the Lord shone
round about them:
and they were sore
afraid.
And the angel said
unto them, Fear not:
for behold, I bring you
good tidings of great joy,
which shall be to
all people.
For unto you is
born this day in the
city of David a Savior,
which is Christ
the Lord.
And this shall be a sign
unto you; ye shall
find the babe wrapped
in swaddling clothes,
lying in a manger.
And suddenly there
was with the angel a
multitude of the heavenly
host praising God, and
saying, Glory to God
in the Highest, and on
earth peace, good will
toward men.
And it came to pass,
as the angels were gone
away from them into
heaven, the shepherd
said one to another..
Let us now go even
unto Bethlehem, and see
this thing which is
is come to pass, which
the Lord hath made
known to us.
And they came with ahst,
and found Mary, and
Joseph, and the babe
lying in a manger."
In the stillness of the
night God had laid there
His own little baby,
the Son of God.
The manger quivered
with delight. "Oh,
this is wonderful," he
whispered. "In all my
dreams I never
thought to hold
a baby like this.
This is better than
all my planning.
Why, I am part of
a miracle."
And out on the hillside
the trees of the forest
clapped their hands
becasue their brother,
the little manger, had
seen his wish
come true.
Year passed by, and men
came to the forest to
cut down the second
tree. "I wonder
whether I shall be made
into a great vessel
now," this one
thought.
"I have waited so long.
Now, perhaps, I shall
do great things of which
I have dreamed."
But the little tree
did not do great things.
He was not made
into a great ship to
cross the ocean, but
instead he became a tiny
fishing boat, owned by
a simple fisherman
named Peter.
"To think that my life
has come to this,"
he said. "Just a
fishing boat. And Peter
is only a fisherman."
But God who loves the
little trees, said,
"Wait, I will show you something."
And He did..
Far out from the crowd
came a person, called
Jesus, who entered
into the little boat
and sat down and
taught the people.
He spoke of such
wisdom, beauty, and light
that the multitude
and even that little
boat listened eagerly.
"This is wonderful,"
he whispered. "In all
my dreams I never
thought to carry a
cargo like this. Why,
I am part of
the miracle.
Jesus came to the earth
to teach all the people
the way to live. This
is better than all
my planning."
And out on the
hillside all of the
trees of the forest
because their brother,
the little boat, had
seen his wish
come true.
Months went by, and men
came to the forest and
cut down the
third tree.
The one that wanted
just to stand on the
hill and point the way
to God. He was most
unhappy as the axe
cut into his heart.
"I don't want to go
from the valley," he
thought. "Why couldn't
they leave me alone?"
But the men did
not leave the little
tree alone. They tore
away his branches,
they cut into his bark,
in the form of a cross.
The little tree quivered
through all its being.
"This is terrible,"
he whispered. "They are
going to hang someone.
Oh, I never wanted this
to happen to me, I only
wanted to point
men to God. This
is awful."
But God, who loves
little trees said,
"Wait, I will show you
something" And
he did.
For one day outside
Jerusalem, a great
multitude gathered.
They had come to hang
Jesus upon the cross.
The sky became dark,
and a storm came
upon the land,
there was wind and
lightening.
Earthquakes frightened
the people. Some knew
that a great mistake
had been made.
One Roman soldier,
standing near the cross,
said, "Truly this was
the Son of God."
The body of Jesus was
taken off the cross
and carefully laid
in a tomb.
There was much sadness
because of His great
suffering. Then, a
miracle happened, three
days after, Jesus,
who had been dead,
came to life again.
He looked the same,
yet he was different.
Jesus had returned
as a ressurected being,
and He could never
die again. He would
live forever.
And the cross began to
understand. "This is
wonderful," he
whispered. "I am part
of a miracle.. Jesus
greatest mission
was to give His life
so that all who have
ever lived on this
earth can someday return
to God and live
with Him again.
In all my dreams I never
thought to point men
to God in this way.
This is better than
all my planning."
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