Happy Holidays !

 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 woodsmen 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 woman 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 its 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. We don't always know
what God's plans are for us. We just know that His ways are not our
ways, but His ways are always best. Keep it moving...pass it on so it
could inspire more people on his way.