A mix collection of inspirational stories gathered from the internet and personal experiences.

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

The Three Trees



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 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 the 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, 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..


Please keep this moving... Pass it on, so God may inspire more people on the
way.

May your day be blessed. And until we meet again, may God cradle you In the
palm of His hand

Sunday, December 20, 2009

No Santa?

Author Unknown

I remember tearing across town on my bike to visit my Grandma on the day my big sister dropped the bomb: "There is no Santa Claus," she jeered. "Even dummies know that!"

My Grandma was not the gushy kind, never had been. I fled to her that day because I knew she would be straight with me. I knew Grandma always told the truth, and I knew that the truth always went down a whole lot easier when swallowed with one of her world-famous cinnamon buns. Grandma was home, and the buns were still warm. Between bites, I told her everything.

She was ready for me. "No Santa Claus!" she snorted. "Ridiculous! Don't believe it. That rumor has been going around for years, and it makes me mad, plain mad. Now, put on your coat, and let's go" "Go? Go where, Grandma?" I asked.

"Where" turned out to be Kerby's General Store, the one store in town that had a little bit of just about everything. As we walked through it doors, Grandma handed me twenty dollars. That was a bundle in those days "Take this money and buy something for someone who needs it. I'll wait for you in the car." Then she turned and walked out of Kerby's.

I was only eight years old. I'd often gone shopping with my mother, but never had I shopped for anything all by myself. The store seemed big and crowded, full of people scrambling to finish their Christmas shopping. For a few moments I just stood there, wondering what to buy, and who on earth to buy it for. Suddenly I thought of Bobbie Decker. He sat right behind me in Mrs. Pollock's grade-two class. Bobbie Decker didn't have a coat. I knew that because he never went out for recess during the winter. I fingered the twenty-dollar bill with growing excitement. I would buy Bobbie Decker a coat. I settled on a red corduroy one that had a hood to it. It looked real warm, and he would like that.

That evening, Grandma helped me wrap the coat in Christmas paper and ribbons, and write, "To Bobbie, From Santa Claus" on it - Grandma said that Santa always insisted on secrecy. Then she drove me over to Bobbie Decker's house, explaining as we went that I was now and forever officially one of Santa's helpers. Grandma parked down the street from Bobbie's house, and she and I crept noiselessly and hid in the bushes by his front walk. Then Grandma gave me a nudge. "All right, Santa Claus," she whispered, "get going." I took a deep breath, dashed for his front door, threw the present down on his step, pounded his doorbell and flew back to the safety of the bushes and Grandma. From there we watched Bobbie come to the door and pick up his present from "Santa."

Forty years haven't dimmed the thrill of those moments spent shivering, beside my grandma, in Bobbie Decker's bushes. That night, I realized that those awful rumors about Santa Claus were just what Grandma said they were: ridiculous. Santa was alive and well, and we were on his team."

I still have the Bible, with the coat tag tucked inside: $19.95.

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