Welp folks the Christmas weekend is almost to a close. Actually kind of came to a close for me today considering i work on Sundays haha.
That said it's been pretty nice. Got to spend some time with my family. We exchanged gifts, had some laughs, saw a few good movies. It was nice. Today was really cool though.
Pastor wanted to do something a little different so we did this great illustrated sermon using the book "A Tale of Three Trees"
It's a really neat story about three trees that were originally planted on a mountain side.
The first tree wanted to be made into a treasure box and hold the most precious jewels of all.
The second wanted to become a might ship that carried kings!
The third tree simply wanted to sit there and point to God for all time.
Then a few lumberjacks showed up and cut them all down and the three trees fell into despair as they came to realize that they would not be made into what they had planned on.
The first tree had become a simple feed box for animals.
The second became a boat for fisher men.
The third was simply cut into pieces of lumber and throne into a pile.
Have you ever been there? You had all these great ideas and plans on what you wanted to do. They were fantastic and even glorifying to God! Yet something happens, your plans are shot and thrown to side. You're not doing at all what you had originally planned on doing. Like the trees in the story you find yourself asking,
Why!? Why God am i here? I've been faithful, all my plans were for you! Why am i here at this point in my life! why!
The three trees felt this way too, yet one by one they had something special happen to them. The first tree found it self one special starlit night in a simple stable. A new mother and father resting exhausted from the day's events. The mother rests her newborn son in the feed box, she looked up at her loving husband, "isn't he beautiful? isn't our son, Jesus, so beautiful?" It was then that the first tree realized that he didn't hold the riches of the world but rather the most precious jewel in all of Heaven and Earth.
The second tree was one day cast out in the waters of the simple sea. Suddenly a massive storm arose and begin to toss the boat and it's travelers back and forth. lighting striking the water right near the bow of the ship! The travelers turned to each other and one finally went over and woke one of their companions. This man stood and walked to the edge of the boat and simply said
Peace, Be Still
And the raging storm stopped. It was then that the second tree realized that while he was not carrying mighty kings of this world, he was carrying the King of Kings.
The third tree one day found itself being dragged out of the wood pile by some soldiers. It didn't understand why the soldiers formed it into the shape of a cross. It didn't understand why they made a simple carpenter who had been beaten beyond recognition carry it so far. It didn't understand why the crowds seemed to hate this man so much. Finally when it heard the man pleading to God to forgive the people it understood, that every time people looked to it's cross shaped form, it would be pointing them straight to God.
See God has a plan for you. He sees things in a entirely different light then we do. While we see things in one direction God is able to step back out of time and see the beginning and the end.
Perhaps you were like the first try and u had plans for holding great riches. But suddenly, be it due to poor economic times or poor financial judgment, you find yourself in place where you feel as low as you could be. You've gone from 5 star to Denny's breakfast bar.
Perhaps you were like the second tree and you had plans of part of that upper class. The guy who calls the shots. You thought for sure you were up for that big promotion but suddenly BAM!! You get pushed to the side and now you're a no body.
Then again maybe you were like the third tree who had great plans that were all meant to honor God and glorify him... but sadly for one reason or another all those dreams seemed to be cut down and thrown away. You feel as though you can't serve Him anymore. That you've wasted your time trying to honor God and serve him.
Doesn't matter the situation fact remains, GOD IS IN CONTROL.
He loves you has a plan for your life. You simply need to be willing to be used by him. If you're down have faith that he will take car of you in the end.
Didn't mean to go into all that. in all honesty i was just trying to tell you about my day.
