Once there were three trees on a hill in the woods. They were discussing their hopes and dreams when the first tree said, "Someday I hope to be a treasure chest. I could be filled with gold, silver, and precious gems. I could be decorated with intricate carvings and everyone could see my beauty."

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 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, think of the heavens and God and know how close to them I am reaching. I will be the greatest tree of all time and people will always remember me."

Years went by and a carpenter walked up the hill to where the trees were standing. Looking at the first tree, he said, "This looks like a strong tree." And he began cutting it down. The first tree was ecstatic, because he was sure the carpenter was going to make him into a beautiful treasure chest. When the tree arrived at the shop, however, he was made into a feed box for animals. He was placed in a barn and filled with hay and straw. This was not what he had prayed for at all.

After many more years, a woodsman stopped at the second tree and said, "This looks like a strong tree. I should be able to sell it to a shipyard."   The second tree was overjoyed at the thought of being made into a mighty vessel.  At the shipyard, the tree was made into a small fishing boat. His dreams of being a mighty ship and carrying kings had come to an end.

Finally, the third tree was standing alone on the hilltop. After several years, he saw a woodsman approaching. His heart was filled with fear, for he knew if he was cut down, his dreams would never come true. The woodsman said, "I don't need anything special, so I'll just take this one." And with several swings of his axe, he chopped down the third tree and, with it, his dreams for ever being close to God. The tree was cut into pieces and left alone in the dark.

Years went by, and the trees soon forgot about their dreams. Then one day a man and a very pregnant woman came by the barn. She gave birth and the two of them placed the baby in the hay in a wooden feed box made from the first tree. The man wished he could have made a crib for the baby, but this manger would have to do. The tree began to feel the importance of this event and knew that he held the greatest treasure of all time.

Years later a group of men got into a 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 did not think it was strong enough to keep the men safe. The men awoke the sleeping man, who stood and said, "Peace," and the storm stopped. At this time the second tree knew he had carried the King of Kings across the waters.

Finally someone came to the third tree. It was carried through the streets as the people mocked and jeered at the man, beaten and bruised, 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 as close to God as possible, for as it stood atop the hill, 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 one of these trees got what they prayed for, just not in the way they had imagined - but rather, in a way that was much, much greater. We don't always know what God's plans are for us. We just know that His ways are not necessarily our ways, but they are the best way .

Author Unknown