SOMETHING TO PONDER - THREE TREES

 Once there were three trees on a hill in a woods.  They were discussing they're hopes and dreams when the first tree said  "Someday I hope to be a treasure chest.  I could be filled with  gold, silver and precious gems.  I could be decorated with  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.  Everyone 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 and 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 that the  carpenter would make him into a treasure chest.
 
 At the second tree a woodsman said, "This looks like a strong  tree, I should 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 woodsman said, "I don't  need anything special from my tree so 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 women 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 it's 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, He will give you great gifts.  Each of  the trees got what they wanted, just not in the way they had  imagined.