Mikayla has a sleepover tonight (we'll see how it goes) and so Wesley and I are going to hang out, eat supper in picnic style and watch a
movie with Steve.I wanted to post this story. I have read it to my students many times and last night I read it to my kids at AWANA at church. It always gets me choked up at the end, and last night was no different. No
matter how many times I read it I always have that happen. Many of you may know it as "The Tale of the Three Trees" but it is a little different in our old Bible curriculum and this is actually my favorite version. I posted pictures of two trees on the farm that have been here many years and "seen" many things and changes. I felt they would be great "visuals" for the story.I thought it was fitting to post it here since my last post was thinking so much along the lines of what Christ did for us on the cross. Of course, we know this story isn't true, but it is a sweet picture of how we may think of what WE want to do in our lives but God has greater plans because He sees the whole picture. I hope you enjoy it. :)
God's Trees
by Gladys Mary Talbot
Far away on a hillside grew a forest of trees - little and big, old and young, tall and short. The trees were very happy with life just as it was on the hillside. They loved the warm sunlight of summer, spring's cool, silvery rains, the gorgeous reds and golds of autumn, and winter's blanket of glistening snow. But sometimes, too, they spoke of the future, of the things they would like to do and be when they grew up.
One said, "You know, I should like to be a baby's cradle. I have seen people come into this forest carrying babies in their arms. I think a baby is the sweetest thing I have ever seen, and I should like to be made into a baby's bed."
A second tree spoke. "That would not please me at all. I want to be something important. I should like to be a great ship, strong and stately. I should like to cross many waters and carry cargoes of gold."
One little tree stood off by himself, apparently in deep reflection, but he did not speak.
"And what would you like to be?" asked the Mother Tree. "Have you no dreams for the future?"
"No dreams," he answered, "except to stand on a hillside and point to God. What could a tree do better than that?"
Mother Tree looked at him fondly. "What, indeed?" she said.
Years passed. The trees grew up.
One day men came to the forest and cut down the first little tree.
"I wonder whether I shall be made into a baby's cradle now. I hope so. I have waited so long," he whispered.
But the little tree was not made into a cradle. Instead, it was hewn into rough pieces and carelessly put together to form a manger in a stable in Bethlehem. He was heartbroken. "I do not like this at all," he wailed. "This is not what I planned - to be shoved into this dark cave (for that is what the stable really was), with no one to see me but the cattle."
But God, who loves little trees, whispered, "Wait, I will show you something." And He did. For -
"There were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
And it came to pass as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger."
In the stillness of the night God had laid there His own babe - the Son of God. The manger quivered with delight. "Oh, this is wonderful!" he whispered. "In all my dreams I never thought to hold a baby like this. This is better than all my planning. Why, I am part of a miracle!"
And out on the hillside, the trees of the forest clapped their hands because their brother, the little manger, had seen his wish come true.
Years passed by, and men came to the forest to cut down the second tree. "I wonder whether I shall be made into a great vessel now," this one thought. "I have waited so long. Now, perhaps, I shall do great things of which I have dreamed."
But the little tree did not do great things. He was not made into a great vessel, but instead he became a tiny fishing boat, owned by a simple Galilean fisherman named Peter. The little boat was most unhappy. One day he stood by the shores of Lake Gennesaret and pondered, while Peter washed his nets.
"To think that my life has come to this!" he said. "Just a fishing boat! And Peter is not even a good fisherman."
But God, who loves little trees, said, "Wait, I will show you something." And He did. For -
Out from the crowd came a person, called Jesus, who entered into the little boat and sat down and taught the people. He spoke words of such wisdom, beauty, and light that the multitude, and even the little boat, listened eagerly. When He had finished, He told Peter to launch out into the deep and let down his nets again. And there were so many fish that the net broke! The little boat trembled, not so much with the weight of the fishes as with the weight of wonder in his heart. "This is wonderful!" he whispered. "In all my dreams I never thought to carry a cargo like this; why, I am part of a miracle. This is better than all my planning."
And out on the hillside, all the trees of the forest clapped their hands because their brother, the boat, had known fulfillment.
Months went by, and men came to the forest to cut down the third little tree - the one that wanted just to stand on a hill and point to God. He was most unhappy. "I do not want to go into the valley," he thought. "Why couldn't men leave me alone?"
But men did not leave the little tree alone. They tore away its branches; they cut into its bark, and deeper, into its very heart. They hewed it apart and put it together again, in the form of a crude cross. The little tree quivered through all its being.
"This is terrible," it whispered. "They are going to hang someone. Oh, I never wanted this to happen to me - I only wanted to point to God. This is awful."
But God who loves little trees, said "Wait, I will show you something." And He did. For -
One day, outside Jerusalem, a great multitude gathered. In their midst was Jesus, and beside Him was the cross.
"And as they led him away, they laid hold upon one Simon, a Cyrenian, coming out of the country, and on him they laid the cross, that he might bear it after Jesus... And when they were come to the place which is called Calvary, there they crucified him..."
The cross shuddered beneath its weight of agaony and shame. Then suddenly a miracle happened.
"Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent... Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God."
The little tree that had become a cross heard, floating down from the heavenly places, the echo of a remembered promise: "Now is the judgment of the world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me."
And the cross began to understand.
"This is wonderful!" he whispered. "I am part of a miracle. In all my dreams I never thought to point to God in this way. This is better than all my planning."
And so it was. For hundreds of trees have stood on the hill slopes through the years, but not one of them has ever been able to point a man to God. Only the cross of Calvary can do that. And out on the hillside all the trees of the forest bowed their heads and thanked God, because their brother, the cross, had known fulfillment.
by Gladys Mary Talbot
Far away on a hillside grew a forest of trees - little and big, old and young, tall and short. The trees were very happy with life just as it was on the hillside. They loved the warm sunlight of summer, spring's cool, silvery rains, the gorgeous reds and golds of autumn, and winter's blanket of glistening snow. But sometimes, too, they spoke of the future, of the things they would like to do and be when they grew up.
One said, "You know, I should like to be a baby's cradle. I have seen people come into this forest carrying babies in their arms. I think a baby is the sweetest thing I have ever seen, and I should like to be made into a baby's bed."
A second tree spoke. "That would not please me at all. I want to be something important. I should like to be a great ship, strong and stately. I should like to cross many waters and carry cargoes of gold."
One little tree stood off by himself, apparently in deep reflection, but he did not speak.
"And what would you like to be?" asked the Mother Tree. "Have you no dreams for the future?"
"No dreams," he answered, "except to stand on a hillside and point to God. What could a tree do better than that?"
Mother Tree looked at him fondly. "What, indeed?" she said.
Years passed. The trees grew up.
One day men came to the forest and cut down the first little tree.
"I wonder whether I shall be made into a baby's cradle now. I hope so. I have waited so long," he whispered.
But the little tree was not made into a cradle. Instead, it was hewn into rough pieces and carelessly put together to form a manger in a stable in Bethlehem. He was heartbroken. "I do not like this at all," he wailed. "This is not what I planned - to be shoved into this dark cave (for that is what the stable really was), with no one to see me but the cattle."
But God, who loves little trees, whispered, "Wait, I will show you something." And He did. For -
"There were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
And it came to pass as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger."
In the stillness of the night God had laid there His own babe - the Son of God. The manger quivered with delight. "Oh, this is wonderful!" he whispered. "In all my dreams I never thought to hold a baby like this. This is better than all my planning. Why, I am part of a miracle!"
And out on the hillside, the trees of the forest clapped their hands because their brother, the little manger, had seen his wish come true.
Years passed by, and men came to the forest to cut down the second tree. "I wonder whether I shall be made into a great vessel now," this one thought. "I have waited so long. Now, perhaps, I shall do great things of which I have dreamed."
But the little tree did not do great things. He was not made into a great vessel, but instead he became a tiny fishing boat, owned by a simple Galilean fisherman named Peter. The little boat was most unhappy. One day he stood by the shores of Lake Gennesaret and pondered, while Peter washed his nets.
"To think that my life has come to this!" he said. "Just a fishing boat! And Peter is not even a good fisherman."
But God, who loves little trees, said, "Wait, I will show you something." And He did. For -
Out from the crowd came a person, called Jesus, who entered into the little boat and sat down and taught the people. He spoke words of such wisdom, beauty, and light that the multitude, and even the little boat, listened eagerly. When He had finished, He told Peter to launch out into the deep and let down his nets again. And there were so many fish that the net broke! The little boat trembled, not so much with the weight of the fishes as with the weight of wonder in his heart. "This is wonderful!" he whispered. "In all my dreams I never thought to carry a cargo like this; why, I am part of a miracle. This is better than all my planning."
And out on the hillside, all the trees of the forest clapped their hands because their brother, the boat, had known fulfillment.
Months went by, and men came to the forest to cut down the third little tree - the one that wanted just to stand on a hill and point to God. He was most unhappy. "I do not want to go into the valley," he thought. "Why couldn't men leave me alone?"
But men did not leave the little tree alone. They tore away its branches; they cut into its bark, and deeper, into its very heart. They hewed it apart and put it together again, in the form of a crude cross. The little tree quivered through all its being.
"This is terrible," it whispered. "They are going to hang someone. Oh, I never wanted this to happen to me - I only wanted to point to God. This is awful."
But God who loves little trees, said "Wait, I will show you something." And He did. For -
One day, outside Jerusalem, a great multitude gathered. In their midst was Jesus, and beside Him was the cross.
"And as they led him away, they laid hold upon one Simon, a Cyrenian, coming out of the country, and on him they laid the cross, that he might bear it after Jesus... And when they were come to the place which is called Calvary, there they crucified him..."
The cross shuddered beneath its weight of agaony and shame. Then suddenly a miracle happened.
"Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent... Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God."
The little tree that had become a cross heard, floating down from the heavenly places, the echo of a remembered promise: "Now is the judgment of the world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me."
And the cross began to understand.
"This is wonderful!" he whispered. "I am part of a miracle. In all my dreams I never thought to point to God in this way. This is better than all my planning."
And so it was. For hundreds of trees have stood on the hill slopes through the years, but not one of them has ever been able to point a man to God. Only the cross of Calvary can do that. And out on the hillside all the trees of the forest bowed their heads and thanked God, because their brother, the cross, had known fulfillment.
1 comment:
I love this story! I've read it to the girls before. :)
Post a Comment