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The
Miracle of Christmas
The
Lords Trees
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Far away
on a hillside grew a forest of trees-- little and big, old and young,tall
and small.
The trees were
very happy with life just as it was on the hillside. They loved the warm
sunlight
of summer, spring's cool silvery rains, the gorgeous reds and golds of
autumn and
winter's
blanket of glistening snow. But sometimes, too, they spoke of the future,
of the
things
they would like to do and be when they grew up. In this forest there was
a mother tree and her three children.
One said,
"You know, I should like to be a baby's cradle. I have seen people come
into this
forest
carrying babies in their arms. I think a baby is the sweetest thing I have
ever seen and I should like to be made into a baby's bed."The second tree
spoke. "That would not please me at all. I want to be something important.
I should like to cross many waters and carry cargoes of gold." The
third little tree stood off by himself, apparently in deep reflection but
he did not speak. "And what would you like to be?" asked the mother tree.
"Have you no dream for the future?" "No dream," he answered, "except
to point men to God. What could a tree do better than that?"
Years
passed and the 3 little trees grew up to be beautiful tall trees. One day
men came to
the and cut
down the first tree. "I wonder whether I shall be made into a baby's cradle
now. I hope so. I have waited so long," he whispered. But the little tree
was not made into a cradle. Instead, it was cut into rough pieces and carelessly
put together to form a manger in Bethlehem. He was heartbroken. "I do not
like this at all," he wailed. "This is not what I planned to be -- shoved
into this dark stable with no one to see me but the cattle. "But God, who
loved the little trees, whispered, "Wait, I will show you something." And
he did. For there were in the same country, shepherds abiding in the field,
keeping watch over their
flock
by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord shone round about them: and they
were sore
afraid. And
the angel said unto them, Fear not: for behold, I bring you good tidings
of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day
in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall
be a sign unto you; ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes,
lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of
the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the Highest,
and on earth peace, good will toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels
were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherd said one to another,
Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to
pass, which the lord hath made known to us. And they came with haste, and
found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger."
In the stillness
of the night God had laid there His own little baby, the Son of God. The
manger quivered
with delight. "Oh, this is wonderful," he whispered. "In all my dreams
I never thought to hold a baby like this. This is better than all my planning.
Why, I am part of a miracle." And out on the hillside the trees of the
forest clapped their hands because their brother, the little manger, had
seen his wish come true.
A year passed
by, and men came to the forest to cut down the second tree. "I wonder whether
I shall be made into a great vessel now," this one thought. "I have waited
so long. Now, perhaps, I shall do great things of which I have dreamed."
But the little tree did not do great things. He was not made into a great
ship to cross the ocean, but instead he became a tiny fishing boat, owned
by a simple fisherman named Peter. "To think that my life has come
to this," he said. "Just a fishing boat. And Peter is only a fisherman."
But God who loves the little trees, said, "Wait, I will show you something."
And He did.
Far out from
the crowd came a person, called Jesus, who entered into the little boat
and sat down and taught the people. He spoke of such wisdom, beauty, and
light that the multitude and even that little boat listened eagerly. "This
is wonderful," he whispered. "In all my dreams I never thought to carry
a cargo like this. Why, I am part of the miracle. Jesus came to the earth
to teach all the people the way to live. This is better than all my planning."
And out on the hillside all of the trees of the forest because their brother,
the little boat, had seen his wish come true.
Months went
by, and men came to the forest and cut down the third tree. The one that
wanted
just to stand on the hill and point the way to God. He was most unhappy
as the ax cut into his heart. "I don't want to go from the valley," he
thought. "Why couldn't they leave me alone?" But the men did not leave
the little tree alone. They tore away his branches, they cut into his bark,
in the form of a cross. The little tree quivered through all its being.
"This is terrible," he whispered. "They are going to hang someone. Oh,
I never wanted this to happen to me, I only wanted to point men 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. They had come to hang
Jesus
upon the
cross. The sky became dark, and a storm came upon the land, there was wind
and
lightening.
Earthquakes frightened the people. Some knew that a great mistake had been
made.
One Roman soldier, standing near the cross, said, "Truly this was the Son
of God."
The body
of Jesus was taken off the cross and carefully laid in a tomb. There was
much
sadness
because of His great suffering. Then, a miracle happened, three days after,
Jesus,who had been dead, came to life again. He looked the same, yet he
was different. Jesus had returned as a resurrected being, and He could
never die again. He would live forever. And the cross began to understand.
"This is wonderful," he whispered. "I am part of a miracle Jesus' greatest
mission was to give His life so that all who have ever lived on this earth
can someday return to God and live with Him again. In all my dreams I never
thought to point men to God in this way. This is better than all
my planning."
At this
Christmas time it is good for all of us to stop and think of that which
Jesus has done for us. We can remember that Jesus, the Son
of God, was sent as a gift to each one of us to teach us the way to live;
we can study and learn the teachings of Jesus and keep His commandments
and live as we should; then we too can live again with our Heavenly Father
and Jesus and with our parents and family forever.
.
This
is the miracle of Christmas!
Here
Comes Santa Claus
Holidays
and Friends
Hoidays
and Grief
A
Child Is Born
Our
Christmas Tree
God's
Special Gift to Parents
Links
To Other Great Holiday Pages
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