I would like to share
a family tradition, a verse or two and some thoughts with you.
When I was younger one thing that my family would do around
the holidays is we would gather together and read “The Tale of Three
Trees”.
"The Tale of Three Trees"
Author unknown
“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 its 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 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 ax, the first tree fell. "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 ax, 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 ax 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 feed box for
animals. The once beautiful tree was not covered with gold, nor 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
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 strong beams 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 feed box. "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 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.”
I now would like to share some verses and a thought. In Luke
1:26-38 we have the account of Mary receiving the news that she is to bare the
Son of God. In verse 38 we see Mary’s final response to the message. The verse
reads “And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according
to thy word. And the angel departed from her.” Mary did not question God's plan
for her life. She may have been confused, I know I would be. In her mind, she
could have been going over everything that would happen people found out that
she was pregnant and unmarried. The man she love could not marry her he could even
have her killed. Yet, she willingly accepted God's plan for her. Just like in
the “tale of three trees” the lives of the trees did not turn out the way they
thought they should God had something better in store for them. By accepting
God's plan for her life Mary got something greater then she could have ever imagined.
So I pose this question to you, when God
brings something unexpected into your life do you fight it and get mad at him
or do you accept it and trust God?
Merry Christmas!!!
