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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 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 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." 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.
So next time you feel down because you didn't get what you want, just sit tight and be happy because God is thinking of something better to give you.
Author UnKnown
AMAR ES DARSE TODO
El hombre que estaba en el mostrador miraba la calle distraídamente. Una niñita se
aproximó al negocio y apretó la naricita contra el vidrio de la vitrina. Sus ojos de color
de cielo brillaron cuando vió cierto objeto. Entró al negocio y pidió ver el anillo de
turquesa azul. "Es para mi hermana.¿Puede hacer un paquete bonito?" preguntó.
El dueño de la tienda mira con aire desconfiado a la niñita y le dice:"¿Cuánto dinero
tienes? Sin dudar, ella saca de su bolsillo un pañuelo todo atadito y deshaciendo
los nudos coloca las pocas monedas en el mostrador "¿Es suficiente?".
Eran apenas algunas monedas que ella exhibía orgullosamente. "¿Sabe? quiero dar
este regalo a mi hermana mayor. Desde que nuestra madre murió, ella cuida de
nosotros y no tiene tiempo para ella. Hoy es su cumpleaños y tengo el convencimiento
que quedará feliz con el anillo que es del color de sus ojos". El hombre fue a la
trastienda, colocó el anillo en un estuche, envolvió con un vistoso papel azul e hizo un
trabajado lazo con una cinta roja. "Toma, dijo a la niña, llévalo con cuidado". Ella salió
feliz corriendo y saltando calle abajo.... Aún no acababa el día cuando una linda joven
de cabellos rubios y hermosos ojos azules entró en el negocio. Colocó sobre el
mostrador el ya conocido estuche e indagó "¿Este anillo fue comprado aquí?,
¿cuánto costó?"... "Ah!, dice el vendedor, el precio de mis productos es siempre un
asunto confidencial entre el cliente y yo"... La joven exclama: "Pero mi hermana tenía
solamente unas monedas. ¿El anillo es verdadero?, pues si es así, ella no tenía
suficiente dinero para pagarlo!". El hombre tomó el estuche y con extremo cariño le da
a la joven diciéndole: "Ella pagó el precio más alto que cualquier persona pudo haber
pagado: ELLA DIO TODO LO QUE TENIA". El silencio llenó la pequeña tienda y dos
lágrimas rodaron por la faz de la joven mientras sus manos tomaban el pequeño estuche.
Anónimo
THE MIRACLE
Tess was a precocious eight year old when she heard her Mom and Dad talking about her
little brother, Andrew. All she knew was that he was very sick and they were completely
out of money. They were moving to an apartment complex next month because Daddy
didn't have the money for the doctor bills and our house.Only a very costly surgery could
save him now and it was looking like there was no-one to loan them the money. She
heard Daddy say to her tearful Mother with whispered desperation, "Only a miracle can
save him now."
Tess went to her bedroom and pulled a glass jelly jar from its hiding place in the closet.
She poured all the change out on the floor and counted it carefully. Three times, even.
The total had to be exactly perfect. No chance here for mistakes. Carefully placing the
coins back in the jar and twisting on the cap, she slipped out the back door and made
her way six blocks to Rexall's Drug Store with the big red Indian Chief sign above the
door. She waited patiently for the pharmacist to give her some attention but he was too
busy at this moment. Tess cleared her throat. No answer. She took a quarter from her jar
and banged it on the glass counter. That did it! "And what do you want?" the pharmacist
asked in an annoyed tone of voice. "Well, I want to talk to you about my brother," Tess
answered back."He's really, really sick... and I want to buy a miracle." "I beg your pardon?"
said the pharmacist. "His name is Andrew and he has something bad growing inside his
head and my Daddy says only a miracle can save him now. So how much does a miracle
cost?" "We don't sell miracles here, little girl. I'm sorry but I can't help you," the pharmacist
said, softening a little. "Listen, I have the money to pay for it. If it isn't enough, I will get the
rest. Just tell me how much is it ." The pharmacist's brother was present at that moment
he stooped down and asked the little girl, "What kind of a miracle does you brother need?"
"I don't know," Tess replied with her eyes welling up. "I just know he's really sick and
Mommy says he needs an operation. But my Daddy can't pay for it, so I want to use my
money. "How much do you have?" asked the brother of thepharmacist. "One dollar and
eleven cents," Tess answered barely audibly. "And it's all the money I have, but I can get
some more if I need to. "Well, what a coincidence," smiled the man. "A dollar and eleven
cents, the exact price of a miracle for little brothers." He took her money in one hand and
with the other hand he grasped her mitten and said "Take me to where you live.I want to
see your brother and meet your parents. Let's see if I have the kind of miracle you need."
That well dressed man was Dr. Carlton Armstrong, a surgeon, specializing in neuro-
surgery. The operation was completed without charge and it wasn't long until Andrew was
home again and doing well. Mom and Dad were happily talking about the chain of events
that had led them to this place. "That surgery," her Mom whispered, "was a real miracle.
I wonder how much it would have cost?" Tess smiled. She knew exactly how much a miracle cost ... one dollar and eleven cents... plus the faith of a little child.
A miracle is not the suspension of natural law, but the operation of a higher law...
Anónimo
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