Quote from Forum Archives on November 6, 2005, 3:52 pm

Posted by: bigguyhereagain <bigguyhereagain@...>

"What If Jesus Came to Visit"

 

If Jesus came to visit would you have to
change your clothes before you let Him in?
Or hide some magazines, and put the Bibles where they'd been?
Would you hide your worldly music and put some hymn books out?
Could you let Jesus walk right in, or would you rush about?
 
And I wonder if the Saviour spent a day or two with you,
would you go right on doing, the things you always do?
 
Would you go right on saying, the things you always say?
Or would life for you continue as it does from day to day?
 
Would you take Jesus with you everywhere you go?
Or would you maybe change your plans for just a day or so?
Would you be glad to have Him meet your closest friends?
Or would you hope they stay away until His visit ends?
 
Would you be glad to have Him stay forever on and on?
Or would you sigh with great relief when He at last was gone?
It might be interesting to know, the things that you would do,
If Jesus came in person, to spend some time with you.
 

 

"THE THREE TREES"

 

 

 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 on 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 woodcutters climbed the mountain. The first woodcutter looked
 at the first tree and said, "This tree is beautiful. It is perfect for me."
 With a swoop of his shining axe, the first tree fell. "Now I shall be made
 into a beautiful chest; I shall hold wonderful treasure!"  The first tree
 said.  The second woodcutter looked at the second tree and said, "This tree
 is strong. It is perfect for me." With a swoop of his shining axe, 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 woodcutter looked her way. She stood straight and
 tall and pointed bravely to heaven. But the woodcutter never even looked
 up. "Any kind of tree will do for me." He muttered. With a swoop of his
 shining axe, the third tree fell.

 

 The first tree rejoiced when the woodcutter 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, nor with treasure. She was
 coated with saw dust and filled with hay for hungry farm animals.

 

 The second tree smiled when the woodcutter took her to a shipyard, but no
 mighty sailing ship was made that day. Instead the once strong tree was
 hammered and sawed into a simple fishing boat. She was too small and too
 weak to sail to an ocean, or even river; instead she was taken to a little lake.

 

 The third tree was confused when the woodcutter 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 night 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 the 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 thrashing storm arose. The little tree
 shuddered. She knew she did not have the strength to carry so many
 passengers safely through with the wind and the rain. The tired man
 awakened. He stood up, stretched out His hand, and said, "Peace, be
 still." 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 beam was yanked
 from the forgotten woodpile. 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 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.

  Author Unknown

 

 

Have a Blessed Day
Dave and Barbara

 

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