The Three Trees
(presented by our young people)

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 twinkling like diamonds above him.  " 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 a strong sailing ship," he said. "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," she said.  "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 rains came, the sun shone and the little trees grew tall. One day three wood cutters climbed the mountain. The first wood cutter looked at the first tree and said, "This tree is beautiful. It is perfect for me." And with a swoop of her shining ax, down came the tree. "Now I shall be made into a beautiful chest," thought the first tree.  "I shall hold wonderful treasure!" 

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

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

The first tree rejoiced when the wood cutter brought him to a carpenter's shop. But the busy carpenter was not thinking about treasure chests.  Instead, his work-worn hands  fashioned the tree into a feed box for animals. The once beautiful tree was not covered with gold, or filled with treasure. He was coated with saw dust and filled with hay for hungry farm animals. The second tree smiled when the wood cutter took him to a shipyard, but no mighty sailing ships were made that day. Instead, the once strong tree was hammered and sawed into a simple fishing boat. He was too small and too weak to sail to an ocean, or even a river, instead he was taken to a little lake. The third tree was confused when the wood cutter 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 nights 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 feed box. "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 sturdy wood. "This manger is beautiful," she said. And suddenly the first tree knew he was holding the greatest Treasure in the world.

Many years passed, and then 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 a thrashing storm arose. The little tree shuddered. He knew she did not have the strength to carry so many passengers safely through the wind and 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 he was carrying the King of heaven and earth.

One Friday morning, the third tree was startled when her beams were yanked from the forgotten wood pile. 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 shone and the earth trembled with joy beneath her, the third tree knew that God's love had changed everything.  It had made the first tree beautiful.  It had made the second tree strong. And every time people thought of the third tree, they thought of God. And that was much better than being the tallest tree in the world.

Starring:

Tyler Atkins
Ginessa Branch
Thomas Craig
Morgan Davis
Elizabeth Hartsock
Joe Hylton
Taylor Martin
Leah Massey
Megan Smith
Nathan Smith