>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.