The Three Trees

The three trees

Long ago in the forest, lived three tall trees, the biggest among all the trees in the forest. One fine day, the three were having a chat, talking about their dream of the future.

The first tree said, "I want to grow taller and stronger, and I want a man to chop me down and make a beautiful bed of my trunk, so a great king can sleep on me."

The second tree said, "I want to grow taller and stronger, because I want a man to chop me down and make a big yacht of my trunk, so a king can sail on me and go around the world."

The third tree said, "If me, I don't want anyone to chop me down. I want to be the tallest and the biggest tree in this forest, so everyone can come to me and look at me admiring my tall trunk."

So then - the trees agreed to pray each and every day so God would make their dreams come true.

One day, a man came and chopped the first tree. The first tree was excited. He thought his dream was finally come true. But when the man found the quality of the tree trunk was not very good, he didn't make him as a bed, he turned the tree trunk into a manger instead, for the cattle to eat grass and hay. The first tree was very disappointed to see what he became of. His dream was shuttered.

Another day, a man came and chopped the second tree. The second tree was excited. He thought his dream was finally come true. But when the man found the quality of the tree trunk was not very good, he didn't make him as a yacht, instead he turned the tree trunk into a fisherman's boat, simply for fishing. The boat was having holes everywhere on his body and was always dirty after sailing. The second tree was very disappointed to see what he became of. His dream was shuttered.

Another day, a man came and chopped the third tree down. The third tree was very disappointed and got terribly sad. He was so sad that his trunk rotting away. The man couldn't make anything from the tree trunk that he just disposed the trunk and it became useless.

Well - was life fair for those trees? They worked hard, they prayed a lot, but this is the end they got.

However, the story is not finished... yet...

Years went by, in the middle of the night, a couple of husband and wife went to the stable where the first tree lived now. The wife was pregnant and they weren't able to find any room to stay and deliver the baby. So the wife gave birth to her baby in that dirty stable and put their baby inside the manger to keep Him warm. Inside the manger, which was the first tree. We all know who the baby is.

Years after that, a storm came on the sea, and it hit a sailing boat that all the people who was sailing in the boat - which was the second tree - scared and panic. The storm was so heavy that it nearly broke the boat down and sank everybody inside. But then, a young man came out and stood on the boat bravely. He waved his hands to the sea in front of Him, and when He cried out to the sea, "In the name of My Father, I command you to stop!" And soon after that, the storm stopped, and the sea was calmed. The second tree was amazed. Who was this person - even the sea and the storm obeyed His command? We all know who the man was.

Years gone by, an innocent man was sentenced to death by the trial. He was tortured and beaten, and at the end, He had to die on the cross. He was crucified. Before He died on the cross, the world moaned for Him. And guess what? The wood to make the cross came from the trunk of the third tree. And again, we all know who the man was.

So, here is the conclusion of the story...

The first tree, even though, he didn't end up as a beautiful bed as he wished for, a king - the king of kings - still slept in him.

The second tree, even though, he didn't end up as a big yacht as he wished for, again the king of kings had once stood on him and sailed across the seas.

The third tree, the saddest of them all (was), even though at the end, he was chopped down, now look at him. Until now, people will look at him when they have hope and prayers. He stood tall for those who are in need and hopeful.

Note:

This is my favorite story. There are many things I can learn from this story. Every time I was troubled or disappointed because things don't go the way I want them to be, I always remember this story. Somehow, it made me believe that there's always a rainbow waiting for us behind every storm that we have to pass.