“ 耶和华说，我的意念；非同你们的意念，我的道路。非同你们的道路，天怎样高过地 ，照样我的道路，高过你们的道路；我的意念，高过你们的意念。” (赛五五8-9)
很久很久以前，山顶上矗立着三棵小树，它们谈论着自己长大后的梦想。
第一棵小树梦想成为一个漂亮的珠宝箱，它对另外两棵树说道：“我想装载上最炫目的珠宝！”它开始想象自己是一个精雕细琢的珠宝箱，装满了贵重的宝石、闪闪发光的金子以及其他的珍宝。
第二棵小树梦想成为一艘坚固的轮船。它骄傲地宣布说：“我要承载有权柄的君王和王子们，让他们 乘着我周游世界，完成重要的旅行。”它开始想象自己是一艘巨型游轮，在大海里乘风破浪。
第三棵树不想离开这大山顶，它只想在山顶上茁壮成长。它说：“我希望当人们抬头看这座山的时候，会看到我站在这里，指向天堂。”它开始想象自己以后枝繁叶茂的样子，自豪、快乐地指向天空。它想象着，人们抬头看它时就想起了上帝和上帝对他们的爱。
许多年过去了，在雨水的沐浴和阳光的照射下，三棵小树长得又高又壮。一天，三个伐木工人爬上了山顶。
第一个伐木工人看了看第一棵树，他说道：“这棵树很漂亮。木匠一定愿意买这样好的树。”他砍倒了第一棵树，把它带到了木匠店里。 第一棵树想：“我马上就要实现自己的梦想，变成漂亮的珠宝箱了！”
第二个伐木工人看了看第二棵树，说道 ：“这棵树很强壮，造船的工匠一定会乐意买这样结实的树。”说完他砍倒了第二棵树，把它带走了。 第二棵树想：“很快我就要成为国王的御用轮船了。
第三个伐木工人来到第三棵树面前，它站得更笔直了，自豪高兴地指着天空。但是那个伐木工人根本就没有抬头看第三棵树一眼，他喃喃自语道：“我要哪棵树都行！”然后他砍倒第三棵树，把它带走了。
在木匠的店里，第一棵树并没有被雕琢成漂亮的珠宝箱。
木匠仓促之中把这棵树做成了一个普通简陋的食槽，用来喂养牲畜。第一棵树陷入了深深的悲伤失望中：“我现在这个样子怎么能装珠宝呢？我只能装干草和麦秸了。”
>在造船厂里，第二棵树并没有被造成能乘风破浪的大轮船。 曾经强壮的它被锯开，造成了一艘简陋的小渔船。它哀叹道：“我只能盛满奄奄一息的鱼了！我现在这个样子怎能承载君王呢？”
在木材厂里，第三棵树被劈成了木头柱子堆在院子里，它的愿望和美梦破灭了。它想：“我再也不能像我梦想的那样了，我现在这个样子怎能指向上帝呢？躺在这一堆木头里，只能等着被风化，然后腐烂了。”
很多年过去了，三棵树也都忘记了自己曾经的梦想。
一天晚上，第一棵树做成的马槽里被放入一个初生的婴孩，那是一个普通的犹太孩子，但却有
使在旁边飞翔歌唱。在圣洁的光中，第一棵树忽然知道，这个婴孩一定比全世界的珍宝加起来还贵重。
一些年过去，第二棵树做成的小渔船被拉到加利利的海边，一个年轻人站在船上，对渴慕的人群传讲真理和生命的话语。小船听着听着，知道自己承载的，乃是万王之王的智慧。
又过了几年，第三棵树被做成了一个十字架，树立在山顶上，这是羞辱与痛苦的记号，第三棵树绝望地在心里流泪，就像那个被钉在上面的年轻人手脚流出的血一样。
然而，在看见存放那位年轻人的尸体却复活而空的墓穴之后，第三棵树忽然明白，它已经永远成为上帝爱的象征，无数的人把它当做拯救与幸福的记号，当做天堂的路标。
这里的马槽依然还是马槽，渔船还是渔船，十字架还是十字架。可是，好像什么东西进入了它们的生命当中，他们似乎得到了比世界还贵重的东西，远远超过它们原来的梦想，它们从此就不一样了，而且永远不一样。
马槽和珠宝箱都会朽烂，小渔船和大轮船也不会永远航行，山顶上的大树和十字架终会有倒下的一天。然而，生命中经历过了那位伟大的救主，就永远没有了遗憾。梦想已经实现，而且超过所求所想。他为我们预备的，是眼睛未曾看见，耳朵未曾听见，心灵未曾想过的。
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 and said: " 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 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. 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 rain 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." With a swoop of his shining ax, the first tree fell. "Now I shall make a beautiful chest, I shall hold wonderful treasure!" the first tree said.
The second wood cutter looked at the second tree and said, "This tree is strong. It's 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 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 to heaven. But the wood cutter never even looked up. "Any kind of tree will do for me." He muttered. With a swoop of his shining ax, the third tree fell.
The first tree rejoiced when the wood cutter brought her to a carpenter's shop. But the carpenter fashioned the tree into a feed box for animals. The once beautiful tree was not covered with gold, or treasure. She was coated with saw dust and filled with hay for hungry farm animals. The second tree smiled when the wood cutter took her to a shipyard, but no mighty sailing ship was made that day. Instead the once strong tree was hammered and awed into a simple fishing boat. She was too small and too weak to sail to an ocean, or even a river, instead she 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 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.
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. She new she did not have the strength to carry so many passengers safely through the wind and the rain. The tired man awoke. 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 hand to her. She felt ugly and harsh and cruel. But on Sunday morning, when the sun rose and the earth trembled with joy beneath her, the third tree knew that God's love had changed everything. It had made the third tree strong. And every time people thought of the third tree, they would think of God. That was better than being the tallest tree in the world.
The next time you feel down because you didn't get what you wanted, sit tight and be happy because God is thinking of something better to give you.
