Once upon a mountain top, three littletrees stood and dreamed of what they wanted to become when they grew up.

The first little tree looked up at thestars and said: "I want to hold treasure. It want to be covered with gold and filledwith precious stones. I'll be the most beautiful treasure chest in the world!"

The second little tree looked out at thesmall stream trickling by on it's way to the ocean. "I want to be traveling mightywaters and carrying powerful kings. I'll be the strongest ship in the world!"

The third little tree looked down into thevalley below where busy men and women worked in a busy town. "I don't want to leavethe 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 theworld."

Years passed. The rain came, the sunshone, and the little trees grew tall. One day three woodcutters climbed the mountain.

The first woodcutter looked at the firsttree and said, "This tree is beautiful. It is perfect for me." With a swoop ofhis shining ax, the first tree fell.

"Now I shall be made into a beautifulchest, I shall hold wonderful treasure!" The first tree said.

The second woodcutter looked at the secondtree and said, "This tree is strong. It is perfect for me." With a swoop of hisshining ax, the second tree fell.

"Now I shall sail mightywaters!" thought the second tree. "I shall be a strong ship for mightykings!"

The third tree felt her heart sink whenthe last woodcutter looked her way. She stood straight and tall and pointed bravely toheaven.

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 thewoodcutter brought her to a carpenter's shop. But the carpenter fashioned the tree into afeedbox for animals.

The once beautiful tree was not coveredwith gold, nor with treasure. She was coated with saw dust and filled with hay for hungryfarm animals.

The second tree smiled when the woodcuttertook her to a shipyard, but no mighty sailing ship was made that day. Instead the oncestrong tree was hammered and sawed into a simple fishing boat. She was too small and tooweak to sail to an ocean, or even a river; instead she was taken to a little lake.

The third tree was confused when thewoodcutter cut her into strong beams and left her in a lumberyard.

"What happened?" The once talltree wondered. "All I ever wanted was to stay on the mountain top and point toGod..."

Many many days and night passed. The threetrees nearly forgot their dreams.

But one night, golden starlight pouredover the first tree as a young woman placed her newborn baby in the feedbox.

"I wish I could make a cradle forhim." her husband whispered.

The mother squeezed his hand and smiled asthe starlight shone on the smooth and the sturdy wood. "This manger isbeautiful." she said.

And suddenly the first tree knew he washolding the greatest treasure in the world.

One evening a tired traveler and hisfriends crowded into the old fishing boat. The traveler fell asleep as the second treequietly sailed out into the lake.

Soon a thundering and thrashing stormarose. The little tree shuddered. She knew she did not have the strength to carry so manypassengers 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 ithad begun. And suddenly the second tree knew he was carrying the king of heaven and earth.

One Thursday morning, the third tree wasstartled when her beams were yanked from the forgotten woodpile. She flinched as she wascarried through an angry jeering crowd. She shuddered when soldiers nailed a man's handsto her. She felt ugly and harsh and cruel.

But on Sunday morning, when the sun roseand the earth trembled with joy beneath her, the third tree knew that God's love hadchanged everything.

It had made the third tree strong. Andevery time people thought of the third tree, they would think of God. That was better thanbeing the tallest tree in the world.

The next time you feel down because youdidn't get what you want, sit tight and be happy because God is thinking of somethingbetter to give you.

Author unknown

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