Three Trees

When you think things aren't going your way
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 great
Treasure Chest. I could be filled with gold, silver
and precious gems. I could be decorated with an
intricate carving and everyone would see my beauty.'

Then 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 the world. People
will feel safe in me because of the strength of my
h ull .'

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, look up to my branches, and think of the heavens 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.
When one came to the first tree he 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 the carpenter would
make him into a treasure chest.

At the second tree the woodsman said, 'This looks like a strong tree.
I will 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 he knew that if they cut him down his dreams would not come
true. One of the men said, 'I don't need anything special from my tree,
I'll take this one,' and he cut it down.

When the first tree arrived at the carpenters, he was made 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. 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 as the people mocked the man who was carrying it. When they
came to a stop, 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, God 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.

Please keep this moving....... Pass it on, so God may inspire more
people on the way.

May your day be blessed. And until we meet again, may God cradle you in
the palm of His hand

The Legend of the Cherokee Indian Youth's Rite of Passage

I received the following story by email. I thought that we all can learn from the moral of the story as one said, "Just because you can't see God, doesn't mean He is not there."

Do you know the legend of the
Cherokee Indian youth's rite of Passage?
His father takes him into the forest, blindfolds him
and leaves him alone. He is required to sit on a stump
the whole night and not remove the blindfold until
the rays of the morning sun shine through it. He
cannot cry out for help to anyone.

Once he survives the night, he is a MAN.

He cannot tell the other boys of this
experience, because each lad must come
into manhood on his own.

The boy is naturally terrified. He can hear all
kinds of noises. Wild beasts must surely be
all around him. Maybe even some human
might do him harm. The wind blew the
grass and earth, and shook his stump, but
he sat stoically, never removing the blindfold.
It would be the only way he could become
a man!

Finally, after a horrific night the sun appeared
and he removed his blindfold.
Once he survives the night, he is a MAN.

He cannot tell the other boys of this
experience, because each lad must come
into manhood on his own.

The boy is naturally terrified. He can hear all
kinds of noises. Wild beasts must surely be
all around him. Maybe even some human
might do him harm. The wind blew the
grass and earth, and shook his stump, but
he sat stoically, never removing the blindfold.
It would be the only way he could become
a man!

Finally, after a horrific night the sun appeared
and he removed his blindfold.

It was then that he discovered his father sitting
on the stump next to him.

He had been at watch the entire night, protecting
his son from harm..

We, too, are never alone.

Even when we don't know it, God is watching
over us, sitting on the stump beside us.

When trouble comes, all we have to do is reach
out to Him.

"For we walk by faith, not by sight."