Story Continued:
God's Trees
or
"The Littlest Christmas Tree"

Out from the crowd came a person called Jesus.  He told Peter to launch out into the deep and let down his nets again.  And there were so many fish that the net broke!  The little boat trembled, not so much with the weight of the fishes as with the weight of wonder in his heart.  "This is wonderful!" he   whispered.  "In all my dreams, I never thought to carry cargo like this; why, I am part of a miracle.  This is better than all my planning."

And out on the hillside all the trees of the forest clapped their hands because their brother the boat, had known fulfillment.

Months went by, and men came to the forest to cut down the third little tree--the one that had wanted to just stand on a hill and point to God.  He was most unhappy.  "I do not want to go into the valley," he thought.  "Why couldn't men leave me alone?"

But men did not leave the little tree alone.  They tore away its branches; they cut into its bark, and deeper, into its very heart.  They hewed it apart and put it together again, in the form of a crude cross.  The little tree quivered through all its being. 

"This is terrible!" it whispered.  "They are going to hang someone.  Oh, I never wanted this to happen to me--I, who only wanted to point to God!  This is awful."

But God, who loves little trees, said, "Wait, I will show you something."  And He did.  For...

One day, outside Jerusalem, a great multitude gathered.  In their midst was Jesus, and beside Him was the cross. 

They placed Him upon it, and the little tree which had become a cross heard, floating down from the heavenly places, the echo of a remembered promise:  "Now is the judgment of this world; now shall the prince of this world be cast out.

"And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me."

And the cross began to understand.  "This is wonderful!" he whispered.  "I am part of a miracle.  In all my dreams I never thought to point to God in this way.  This is better than all my planning."

And out on the hillside, all the trees of the forest bowed their heads and thanked God, because their brother, the cross, had known fulfillment!

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