Not The Way You Planned

 Once there were three trees on a hill in the woods.
 They were discussing their hopes and dreams when the first tree said,
 'Someday I hope to be a great treasure chest. I could be filled with gold,
 Silver and precious gems. I could be decorated with an 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.
 People 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, 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
 The carpenter would make him into a treasure chest.
 
 At the second tree the woodsman said, 'This looks like a strong tree. I
 Will 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 men said,'I don't need anything special from my tree, 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, God
 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.