three trees

[Carol Anne Kincaid~Paradis]

THREE TREES....

Once upon a mountain top, three little trees stood and dreamed of what they wanted to become when they grew up.

The first little tree looked up at the stars and said: “I want to hold treasure. I want to be covered with gold and filled with precious stones. I’ll be the most beautiful treasure chest in the world!”

The second little tree looked out at the small stream trickling by on it’s way to the ocean. “I want to be traveling mighty waters and carrying powerful kings. I’ll be the strongest ship in the world!”

The third little tree looked down into the valley below where busy men and women worked in a busy town. “I don’t want to leave the mountain top at all. I want to grow so tall that when people stop to look at me, they’ll raise their eyes to heaven and think of God. I will be the tallest tree in the world.”

Years passed. The rain came, the sun shone, and the little trees grew tall. One day three woodcutters climbed the mountain. The first woodcutter looked at the first tree and said, “This tree is beautiful. It is perfect for me.” With a swoop of his ax, the first tree fell. “Now I shall be made into a beautiful chest, I shall hold wonderful treasure!” The first tree said.

The second woodcutter looked at the second tree and said, “This tree is strong. It is perfect for me.” With a swoop of his ax, the second tree fell. “Now I shall sail mighty waters!” thought the second tree. “I shall be a strong ship for mighty kings!”

The third tree felt her heart sink when the last woodcutter looked her way. She stood straight and tall and pointed bravely to heaven. But the woodcutter never even looked up. “Any kind of tree will do for me,” he muttered. With a swoop of his ax, the third tree fell.

The first tree rejoiced when the woodcutter brought her to a carpenter’s shop. But the carpenter fashioned the tree into a feedbox for animals. The once beautiful tree was not covered with gold, nor with treasure. She was coated with saw dust and filled with hay for hungry farm animals.

The second tree smiled when the woodcutter took her to a shipyard, but no mighty sailing ship was made that day. Instead the once strong tree was hammered and sawed into a simple fishing boat. She was too small and too weak to sail to an ocean, or even a river. Instead she was taken to a little lake.

The third tree was confused when the woodcutter cut her into strong beams and left her in a lumberyard. “What happened?” The once tall tree wondered. “All I ever wanted was to stay on the mountain top and point to God…”

Many, many days and night passed. The three trees nearly forgot their dreams. But one night, golden starlight poured over the first tree as a young woman placed her newborn baby in the feedbox. “I wish I could make a cradle for him.” her husband whispered.

The mother squeezed his hand and smiled as the starlight shone on the smooth and the sturdy wood. “This manger is beautiful.” she said. And suddenly the first tree knew he was holding the greatest treasure in the world.

One evening a tired traveler and his friends crowded into the old fishing boat. The traveler fell asleep as the second tree quietly sailed out into the lake. Soon a thundering and thrashing storm arose. The little tree shuddered. She knew she did not have the strength to carry so many passengers safely through with the wind and the rain.

The tired man awakened. He stood up, stretched out his hand, and said, “Peace.” The storm stopped as quickly as it had begun. And suddenly the second tree knew she was carrying the king of heaven and earth.

One Friday morning, the third tree was startled when her beams were yanked from the forgotten woodpile. She flinched as she was carried through an angry jeering crowd. She shuddered when soldiers nailed a man’s hands to her. She felt ugly and harsh and cruel. But on Sunday morning, when the sun rose and the earth trembled with joy beneath her, the third tree knew that God’s love had changed everything.

It had made the third tree strong. And every time people thought of the third tree, they would think of God. That was better than being the tallest tree in the world.

The next time you feel down because you didn’t get what you want, sit tight and be happy because God is thinking of something better to give you.

Author Unknown

Hope melts the frost from the tree, allowing the tiniest leaf to grow stronger in the healing light of the sun...Enjoy your evening... Light and Love..Carol Anne..

Heart's Call

There is a voice within which occasionally gets our attention and tries to remind us of how good and beautiful we are. It calls us from a time long ago when we first arrived for our journey in and through time and space. Those first moments were filled with pure joy, pure play, pure adventure. Whenever you meet someone today with a pure, innocent and trusting heart let them remind you of yourself during those first early years. They invoke the purity of your own heart, and invite you to be innocent again.

It also shows you one of the greatest keys to real relaxation. It is the truth that we are all pure in heart...forever. It is only what we accumulate and learn from the world around us that blocks and clogs our heart.

All evil is learned and can be unlearned. All depression is the result of the illusion that we have lost something, when in truth, we cannot lose what is of true value to us, the eternal qualities of our own spirit, our own self. In a quiet moment today, listen for your hearts call. It will tell you everything is really fine, there is no need to struggle, and that you are beautiful just as you are...and you will be again!

Fall in love again…with your life and your dream. Take time to appreciate the brilliance, beauty, and magnificence of your own life. Never forget that you are an unrepeatable miracle! Great things are supposed to happen for you and through you. Care for yourself and nurture your vitality, energy and life force.
Silence your own unforgiving spirit and extreme self-criticism, that can steal your joy, harm your health and stunt your personal growth. Give up microwaved solutions to challenges and shortcuts to success. You can’t pull up a plant up from its roots to make it grow. The things that really matter in life take purposeful planning, time, love and care. Do your work, stay the course, live in the present and love yourself even more than you have in the past. You have GREATNESS within you!!~Les Brown