The Parable
of the Three Trees
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 the 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
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, 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.
Pass it on, so God may inspire more people on the way.
May your day be blessed. May God cradle you in
the palm of His hand.
God bless you and yours.
On behalf of this generation,
Your friends in the service of Christ,
Tony and Marge Abram
Abundant Life Crusades
www.tonyabram.com or
www.abundantlifecrusades.com
