Three Trees

Three Trees

Once there were three trees on a hill in a woods. They were discussing their 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.

57 Cents

(Author Unknown)
(Based on a true story as told by Dr. Russell H. Conwell)
[Edited for factual clarity]

A sobbing little girl stood near a small church from which she had been turned away because it was too crowded. "I can't go to Sunday School," she sobbed to the pastor as he walked by. Seeing her shabby, unkempt appearance, the pastor guessed the reason and, taking her by the hand, took her inside and found a place for her in the Sunday School class. The pastor told her, "We should some day have a room big enough for all who should come."

The child was so touched that she went to bed that night thinking of the children who have no place to worship Jesus.

A few weeks later the girl suddenly took ill and died. At the funeral, the girl's father took the kind-hearted pastor aside who had befriended their daughter. He quietly told him that their little girl had been saving money for the church. Quite surprised, the pastor was even more taken aback when the girl's father handed him what she had saved - 57 cents in pennies. For two weeks she had been running errands and saving her pennies in a little bank for the church.

The pastor was amazed at the love demonstrated by this little girl and tearfully shared this story at his church the following week. The trustees of the church were so moved by the actions of this girl that one of them proposed buying a new plot of land for the church that would allow it to grow considerably. Only a few days earlier a new church building seemed like only a distant possibility. But now, spurred on by this girl's actions, all of a sudden it seemed like something to attain for. The building fund, started by this little girl, quickly began to grow.

The pastor shared the story of the girl with the owner of the plot of land. The owner was so moved that he sold the property for only $10,000 with the first payment to be just 57 cents. Due to the growth of the building fund, in just a short while the church was able to buy this property free-and-clear.

The girl's unselfish love had paid large dividends. When you are in the city of Philadelphia, look up Temple Baptist Church, with a seating capacity of 3,300, and Temple University, where hundreds of students are trained. Have a look, too, at the Good Samaritan Hospital (Temple University Hospital) and at a Sunday School building which houses hundreds of children and adults, so that no child in the area will ever need to be left outside during Sunday school time. In one of the rooms of this building may be seen the picture of the sweet face of the little girl whose 57 cents, so sacrificially saved, made such remarkable history.

Alongside of it is a portrait of her kind pastor, Dr. Russel H. Conwell, author of the book, "Acres of Diamonds." - a true story.

Goes to show WHAT GOD CAN DO WITH 57 cents.

My Luve by Robert Burns

O my luve is like a red, red rose,

That's newly sprung in June:

O My luve is like the melodie,

That's sweetly played in a tune.

As fair art thou, my bonie lass,

So deep in luve am I;

And I will luve thee still, my dear,

Till a' the seas gang dry.

Till a' the seas gang dry, my dear,

And the rocks melt wi' the sun,

And I will luve thee still, my dear,

While the sands o' life shall run.

And fare thee weel, my only luve!

And fare thee weel a while!

And I will come again, my luve,

Tho' it were ten thousand mile.

Life by Mother Teresa

"Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.

Life is a beauty, admire it.

Life is a dream, realize it.

Life is a challenge, meet it.

Life is a duty, complete it.

Life is a game, play it.

Life is a promise, fulfill it.

Life is sorrow, overcome it.

Life is a song, sing it.

Life is a struggle, accept it.

Life is a tragedy, confront it.

Life is an adventure, dare it.

Life is luck, make it.

Life is life, fight for it!"

The Quarrel of the Tools

The Carpenter's tools had a conference. Brother Hammer was in the chair. The meeting had informed him that he must leave because he was too noisy.

"All right, I will leave, but if I leave Brother Screw must go also. You have to turn him around again and again to get him to go anywhere."

Brother Screw replied, "If you like I will go, but Brother Plane must leave as well. All of his work is on the surface. There is never any depth to it."

To this Brother Plane answered, "Well Brother Rule will also have to withdraw if I do, he's always measuring people as though he were the only one who is ever right."

Brother Rule then complained against Brother Sandpaper, saying "I just don't think he should be allowed to remain; he's rough and always rubs people the wrong way."

In the midst of this discussion the Master Carpenter came in and began to work on a pulpit from which to preach his Gospel. As he worked, he used the screw, the sandpaper, the hammer, the plane, the rule, the saw and all the other tools. When the day's work was over, Brother Saw arose and said to the other tools, "How wrong we were to criticize,each other when the Craftsman used each of us equally for the task that each one is designed to do. We must remember to be more careful in finding fault with one of His tools."



Be careful my Brothers and Sisters in Christ. We each have a task to do and it's' not quite like each others. Be of good courage. Let's do our bit as God has given it to us not to criticize what your neighbor is doing. If it is from God it all fits in to help one another and bring others to our Savior Jesus Christ.

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Affliction

Affliction is one of God’s medicines. By it He often teaches lessons which would be learned in no other way. By it He often draws souls away from sin and the world, which would otherwise have perished everlastingly. Health is a great blessing, but sanctified disease is a greater. Prosperity and worldly comfort, are what all naturally desire; but losses and crosses are far better for us, if they lead us to Christ. Thousands at the last day will testify with David, “It is good for me that I have been afflicted.” (Psalm. 119:71).

~ J.C. Ryle