Once upon a time, there were three saplings growing at the top of a mountain. They were all young and full of energy and were birthing their dreams and desires of what they wanted to be when they grow up.

The first sapling looked at the foot of the mountain and saw people storing for themselves treasures of all kinds and said, "I want to grow into a beautiful tree with unique grains and patterns so that i can be used to store all kinds of treasures of the earth - Jewels, gold and silver."

The second sapling saw the huge river meandering through the mountains and said to itself, "When i grow up, i want to be strong and sturdy so that i might be fit to sail the seas of the earth and brave the fiercest storms."

The third sapling looked at the people rushing about at the foot of the mountain and said, "I want to grow into the tallest and strongest tree to reach up to heaven, so that all those rushing about would stop and see me point the way to God."

Many years passed and the wind, rain and sun came and went and these three saplings grew into what they wanted to be. The first became this beautiful tree that had strong trunk and unique grains. The second grew into this thick and sturdy tree that could withstand the winds. And the third tree grew to this enormous height, indeed reaching to the heavens.

Then one day the woodcutters came along and chopped down the trees so that they may be used for various purposes.

The first tree who was brought to the carpenter thought to itself, "Yippee! now i shall be made into this huge treasure chest, which can be used to contain all the treasures of this earth." The second who was bought by the shipyard thought, "Hurray, now surely they can test my sturdy wood on the roughest seas and i can sail like a fish" And the third was brought to the lumberyard. It didn't know what it was useful for but since it was cut down, it was unhappy, it could no longer be the tall tree it desired to be.

However things didn't turn out the way the trees wanted. Instead of being made into this beautiful treasure chest, the first tree was sawn and made into a trough, which the farmers kept hay to feed the horses. The trough was misused, it was smelly and always full of hay. So much for the treasures of this world.

The second tree didn't become this huge magnificient ocean liner, instead it was used to make a small fishing boat that was only fit to traverse the waters of a lake. It was always filled with fish and thus smelly.

The third tree was sawn and cut into two large planks of wood and left in the lumberyard and remained there almost forgotten.

All three trees were disillusioned and downcasted. The dreams of their youth disappeared before their very eyes.

Then one night, a star shone brightly in the sky and the barn where the first tree resided had visitors. Instead of hay that fed the horses, the trough was used to carry a newborn baby and it was there that the baby was nursed and received many visitors and there was a celebration in the sky.

Many years later, the small fishing vessel was used to fetch a tired traveler and his friends to the middle of the lake. It was here that the traveler fell asleep and a huge storm started brewing. Thunder and lightning struck, the wind and rain buffeted the small boat and it was almost in the danger of capsizing. The traveler's friends frantically woke him up and with a command from the traveler's mouth the storm totally died away.

Now it was on this friday morning that the two forgotten planks were removed from the stack and nailed together to form a cross. Then soldiers nailed this man, his hands and legs to this cross and the tree thought to itself, "What did this man do that they should do this to him?" It was this very same man who three days later, resurrected and appeared before many as witness of his triumph over death.

Unknowingly, the first tree had contained in itself the greatest treasure of the earth that one starry night. The second tree had carried the man who had power great enough not only to brave the fiercest storm but the authority to calm it too. And the third tree had held the man who would point the only way to God."

The end.

I don't know what kind of response you get from this story but it really touched me to know that when it comes to God, we don't have to be the most beautiful, strongest or tallest to be His instrument. =)