三顆小樹的夢

二千多年前的一座山丘上，有三顆小樹，他們一起努力生長，也共同為將來編織著美夢。

　　在一個晴朗美麗的夜裡，第一顆小樹望著鑽石般的滿天星斗，讚嘆地說：「我想擁有世上的珍寶。對了！我希望成為世界上最美麗的珠寶盒，外面要有黃金為我的外衣，裡面也會裝有許多珍貴稀奇的寶石！」

　　第二天早上，第二顆小樹看到不遠處的一條小溪，蜿蜒地逕自流向大海中。他想了想，就興奮地大叫說：「對了，對了！我希望將來可以成為世界上最堅固的大船。我要航遍世上所有的大洋，並且上面要載著所有受人尊敬和景仰的國王。」

　　到了中午，第三顆小樹看著山下村莊裡，許多正在忙碌著的男女老少，就對其他兩顆樹說：「我可是一點兒也不想離開這個山丘，我希望成為世界上最高的樹，我要一直不停地往上生長，讓每一個在我前面停下來的人們，在向上抬頭看我的時候，也可以看到在我頭上的天堂，並且想到在天國裡的上帝。」


　　日升日落，春去秋來，許多年就這樣過去了。這三顆小樹在雨水和陽光的滋潤下，漸漸茁壯，長成了大樹。有一天，三個樵夫來到了這座山丘；第一個樵夫看到第一顆樹時，認為他長得漂亮極了，說：「這真是我所看過最美麗的樹了！」於是樵夫揮著發亮的斧頭，第一顆樹就被砍下了。那時，樹的心裡想：「現在我就要被做成美麗的珠寶盒了，我一定要裝著世上最棒的珍寶！」

　　第二個樵夫看到了第二顆樹，欣賞地說：「這棵樹對我來說簡直完美極了，他長得實在強壯。」他閃著手中的斧頭，第二顆樹就被砍下了。那時，樹的心裡想：「現在我就要被做成載著尊貴國王的大船了，我一定要航遍所有的大洋！」

　　第三顆樹看到其他兩個同伴都被砍下來時，她的心開始往下沉，多年來她一直努力地朝著天堂的方向生長，現在她已經長得又高又直了。第三個樵夫自言自語地說：「只剩下這顆樹了，任何樹對我來說都可以啦！」他甚至連抬起頭來看一眼都沒有，就把第三顆樹砍下來了。

　　當第一顆樹被樵夫帶進木匠的店裡時，他覺得他的夢想就快要成真了，但是木匠並沒有想到把他做成珠寶盒，而把他做成一個用來餵食動物的盒子。噢！他是多麼的失望啊，因為他沒有用金包裹的外衣，只有一層木屑；裡面也沒有裝著任何珠寶，只有餵食動物的乾草。

　　第二顆樹帶著微笑，被樵夫帶到了一間造船廠；他覺得他的夢想就要成真了。但是那天並沒有任何大船被造出來，這個樹只被釘槌和鋸子做成一艘普通的漁船。噢！他心裡好失望啊，他竟變成又小又弱的漁船，只能航行在小河流或固定的海裡，甚至還要載著一堆發臭的死魚！

　　第三顆樹被帶進了一間木料場，她心裡充滿了疑惑：「這怎麼回事？我只想要待在山上，每天朝向上帝啊！」
　　日出日落，許多日子就這麼過去了，這三顆被做成馬槽、漁船，和木頭的樹，幾乎已經忘了他們當年的夢。


　　但就在一個寒冬的夜晚，當一個年輕婦女將她新生的嬰孩，放進這個裝著乾草的馬槽時，出現了金黃色的星光，照耀著馬槽。這顆被做成馬槽的樹突然明瞭了，原來他裡面正裝著世界上最偉大的珍寶！

　　幾年之後的一個夜晚，一位年輕人和一群朋友們來到岸邊，擠進了這艘又老又舊的漁船。小船安靜地在湖中航行著，這位年輕人很快就睡覺了。突然間，原本平靜的湖面上刮起了狂風暴雨，小船顫慄地發抖著，因為他知道他不夠強壯，沒有辦法帶這些乘客安全地渡過暴風雨。這時那位睡著的年輕人醒來了，站起來，伸開雙手向風和海說：「平靜吧！」暴風雨竟聽從年輕人的話，立刻停息了！這顆被做成漁船的樹剎時知道，原來他正載著掌管天地和世界的國王！

　　一個星期五的早晨，由第三顆樹做成的木樑，從一堆被人遺忘的木堆中被抽了出來，經過一群憤怒、嘲笑的群眾，當一個士兵將一個眼神充滿哀傷和饒恕的男人帶到她面前時，她開始感到一陣害怕，接下來那個士兵竟然將那男人的手釘在她身上。她看到了世界上最醜陋、殘酷無情的人類。

　　但是當星期天的早晨，第一道陽光升起之時，全地都在她底下震動歡呼。這時她知道，神的愛已經改變了一切──


　　祂使第一顆樹變得美麗。

　　祂使第二顆樹變得強壯。

　　而每一次當人們想到第三棵樹時，他們就會想到神。那可是比當世界上最高的樹還要好的事！

Turning Adversity Into Opportunity

Almost everywhere we go, we tend to meet people who wish that they can have a comfortable and smooth life. Even when I asked a few hardworking friends - they would tell me that they are working so hard now so that one day they don't have to work. It seems nobody like to work (struggle). They would prefer to go downstream than to go upstream. In other words, they would very much prefer a life without problems and live an effortless life. I'm not trying to propagate that it is not good to relax. That is all fine but we should not fear struggling. We should embrace it when it comes. Somehow or rather, I've experienced that once a person is faced with a challenge or adversity something in them is "triggered" and he/she will release a certain "power" within him/her to overcome the adversity in front. This "power" therefore stretches him and he grows. On the other hand if he or she dare not face up to it or avoid it, he lost the opportunity to grow. That's why there is a saying, "Challenges push some men to break but some to break records!"

We see it in the history of mankind. Under challenging circumstances like wars, crisis, scarcities, etc.....great leaders, heroes and amazing ideas emerged. I think there are enough cases to tell us that for the power of life to grow stronger, it has to keep on climbing new mountains.

Take a look at Polio, it was deemed to be eradicated but lately, it emerges again. New and stronger strains of Tuberculosis have emerged. Take the avian flu, no matter how many birds we kill new variant strain start to spring-up.

Coming to the human race, there is this community in Africa that would just let the Tsetse Fly which carry the sleeping sickness slowly kill them than for them to do anything about it. They would not even move to a new place to live.

In our country, normally during the monsoon period when the winds bring the monsoon rain, the people of certain parts of our country would tend to stop a lot of their activities. Afterall what can they do? They can't swim, they can't go out to fish as the seas would be very rough then. But lately, I'm very proud to note that some of our leaders have taken it upon themselves to launch the Monsoon Cup - attracting yatching competitors from various parts of the world. Yes, Adversity can be turned into an opportunity!

Don't take my word for it. The next time you are faced with a problem or a challenge - face it, think creatively (or think out of the box) and ACT and you will never be the same again. And remember, work experience, struggle are the 'stuff' that our lives are made of.

May the "power" be with you.
A kite rises against the wind rather than with it.