GOD'S TREES By HELEN FRAZEE-BOWER Reprinted by request from an earlier issue.
Baby there. This Baby was 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, all the trees of the forest clapped their hands because their brother, the little manger, had seen his wish come true. Months passed by, and again men came to the forest to cut down the sec ond little 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 large vessel at all. He was made, instead, into a tiny fishing boat and fell into the hands of a simple Galilean fisherman named Peter. The little boat was most unhappy. One day he stood by the shores of lake Gennesaret and pondered, while Peter washed his nets. “ To think that my life has come to this,” he said. “Just a fishing boat! And Peter is not even a very good fisher man. He has toiled all the night and he has taken nothing. This is stupid; It would be better to have remained in the forest than to come to this.” But God, who loves little trees, said, “Wait, I will show you something.” And He did. For: Out from the crowd came a Person, called Jesus, who entered into the little boat and sat down and taught the people. His words were words of such wisdom and beauty and light, that the multitude, and even the little'boat, lis tened with eagerness. When He had finished speaking, He told Peter to launch out into the deep and let down his nets again. And, oh, there were so many fish—multitudes of them, so that the net broke! The little boat trembled, not so much with the weight of fishes as with the weight of wonder in his heart. “ This is wonderful," he whispered. “ In all my dreams I never thought to carry a cargo like this. Why, I am part ( Continued on Page S3)
☆
☆
☆
F AR AWAY on a hillside grew a for est of trees: little ones and big ones, old ones and young ones, tall ones and short ones, all grew together. When the summer days came, they laughed in the warm sunlight, and found life good; when the spring rains splashed on their shining leaves they laughed too, for the rain was cool and silver and lovely; when the first autumn days caused their leaves to turn to red and gold, they re joiced in the gorgeous display of color; and when winter wrapped a blanket of snow about their bare limbs, they found life more beautiful than ever in the white, glistening stillness. The trees were very happy with life just as it was on the hillside, but sometimes, too, they spoke of changes that would come. They talked of the things they would like to do and be when they grew up—just as children do. One little tree said, “You know, I should like to be a baby’s cradle. I have seen people come into this forest. Some times they come carrying babies in their arms. I think a baby is the sweetest thing I have ever seen. When I am older I should like to be made into a bed for a baby.” Then a second tree spoke. “ That would not please me at all. I want to be some thing more important than that. I think I should like to be a great ship and cross many waters. I should like to be large and strong and stately. I should like to be loaded with cargoes of gold and silver and precious jewels.” The Mother Tree grew troubled. “ Pride,” she said, “is a dangerous thing. I hope your wish will not bring you sorrow.” One 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 dreams for the future?” “ No dreams,” he answered, “except to stand on a hillside and point to God. What could a tree do that is better than that?” The Mother Tree looked at him fondly. “ What, indeed?” she said. * * * Years passed, and the trees grew up. One day men came to the forest and cut down the first little tree. “ I wonder whether I shall be made into a baby’s cradle now. I hope so. I have waited so long,” he whispered. Page Twelve
But the little tree was not made into a cradle. Instead, it was hewn into rough pieces and carelessly put together to form a manger in a stable in Bethle hem. The little tree was heartbroken. “ I do not like this at all,” he wailed. “ This is not what I planned—to be shoved into this dark cave [for that is what the stable really was], with no one to see me but the cattle.” But God, who loves little trees, whis pered, “Wait, I will show you some thing.” And He did. For: “ There were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keep ing watch over their flock by night. “ And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone around 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 Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. * “ And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrap ped 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 an gels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds 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 unto us. “ And they came with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.”
Yes, children, it was our little manger. In the stillness of the night God had come down to lay His very own little
JUNIOR KINGS BU5INE55
Martha S. Hooker
T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
Made with FlippingBook HTML5