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 treefell. "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 strongbeams
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.