Do you know your life's Purpose? - A Good Friday story.

Do you know your life's Purpose? - A Good Friday story. 

There was once a little town and beside it was a mountain full of  trees. Woodcutters usually went to this foresty mountain to cut the trees and get the wood they needed to make wooden furniture and other wooden products. 

Now, in the middle of the forest, stood  a papa tree and a baby tree. Baby tree observed the woodcutters coming in daily with their sharp axes and chopping the trees around it. 

One day, baby tree asked papa tree, "Papa why are they chopping the trees?" 

"To turn them into useful products, my son," replied papa tree. 

"Will they chop you and me too, one day papa?" asked baby tree. 

"Yes, my son. They will, but do not worry, we will live on as useful products even if we are cut up," said papa tree.

Baby tree thought intently for some time, then it asked papa tree, "Papa, will I become a furniture that is useful, too?"

"My son," said papa tree. "Do not worry what you will become. Just yield yourself into the carpenter's hands. The skilled hands of the carpenter will turn you into something beautiful and useful. You will become very special one day!"

Papa tree told baby tree many more things but baby tree was lost in its thoughts about becoming something special one day, so it did not hear what papa tree told it.

Years passed and the baby tree was now a sturdy and tall tree. It was lonely without its father tree. Let's call it the 'Lonely Tree' for now. Its papa was long gone. "My papa will be a useful piece of product somewhere now, " thought the lonely tree. "I too want to be useful and special as my papa told me I would!"

The lonely tree waited and waited day after day, watching all its friends and siblings being chopped and carried away. It's papa had described to it the beauty of the furniture, the chopped trees were turned into. So while waiting for its turn to be made into something useful, lonely tree began to imagine. 

It imagined that it was a strong and beautifully carved door which guarded the house of a rich man. Then it imagined that it was a strong and beautiful rocking chair, rocking an elderly person gently to sleep. As it began to imagine, it could not wait for its turn to come.    

One day a young man in his 30's walked into the forest and sat beside lonely tree. He leaned against it. At first lonely tree thought he was going to chop it. Its heart raced faster and faster. "Has my time come," wondered lonely tree. 

This man was alone and did not have an axe with him. He just leaned on the tree and quietly sat there for a few hours in meditation. He seemed to be burdened. At times he seemed to be talking to someone but lonely tree could not see anyone else beside him. So it thought that the man was talking to himself. But lonely tree did not mind because this man seemed so gentle and kind. 

Days and months flew by. Lonely tree was still standing there, uncut. "Maybe my time has not come yet," thought lonely tree, and consoled itself.

By now lonely tree had started to look forward to the young man's visit. He came when it was either very early in the morning before the sun came up or late at night when all were asleep. He always leaned gently against lonely tree and patted it lovingly before leaving. "At least I am being useful to him now," thought lonely tree. That thought gave it immense satisfaction. 

Early one morning as lonely tree was looking forward to the young man's arrival, it was caught offguard by a rude sharp pain on its trunk. "Oh no! I am being chopped!" Cried Sturdy tree. "Now the young man will not be able to lean on me any longer!" 

As it was chopped and carried away, lonely tree forgot all that its papa told it about being a useful furniture. Its thought was all consumed with being useful to that kind young man who used to lean on it daily. It grieved that it would not be there for that kind young man to lean on any longer.

The next day, lonely tree,  was reduced to only a rough t-shaped wood. It was thrust into the hands of a man. This  man looked so bloody and disfigured. He carried lonely tree up the hill. The moment he held it, lonely tree recognised his touch instantly. 

"Is this not the same young man who used to lean on me daily? Why does he look so disfigured? Who beat him up? What did he do?" These were some of the questions racing in the mind of lonely tree.

As it was being carried up the hill by this disfigured young man, lonely tree remembered something else its papa once told it. "Son, you can be made either into an useful furniture or be made into an emblem of suffering and shame, to carry sinners." 

"Oh, no! Am I going to become an emblem of shame," thought lonely tree. "But this man surely is not a sinner. I know him. He will never hurt a fly! He can't be a criminal," cried lonely tree to itself. 

By now the disfigured man had carried it up the hill and he was made to lie down on the t-shaped lonely tree. His hands were stretched and were nailed to it. His feet placed together and were nailed to it. Every nail that pierced through his hands and feet was embedded deep into lonely tree. It felt his excruciating pain. His blood covered it.  

Then it was lifted up with that young disfigured man who was now nailed on it. As it was planted with a heavy thud, in the soil of the mountain, it heard his pitiful groans and the screams, wailing and even the mocking of the people gathered around. From their cries, it learned that this man was called Jesus. It was so afraid he will fall off. It wanted to hold him tightly with its branches from falling off,  but it had none. The only things that held him firmly to it were the sharp iron nails. 

Some soldiers came and removed a sign which was placed on top of it and nailed another sign on it saying 'Jesus the Nazarene, King of the Jews' (John 19:19)! Then lonely tree knew whom it was carrying.

As it was erected high up with Jesus hanging on it, as it heard him saying, "Father forgive them for they  know not what they do,"  as it  heard the earthquaking and thunder rumbling, lonely tree knew its purpose. It was now made into the most useful thing ever; the Cross on which hung the Saviour of the world! The One Who took upon Himself, all of humanity's sins and died a cruel death to save them from sin's destruction. 

Lonely tree now looked so rugged and old with all the bruises on it and the blood covering it. Now that Old Rugged Cross, though it was sad for the cruel death of the kind young man, Jesus, it stood humbly on that hill far away. In its heart, it knew that it was sought after to lean on and was carried by the Saviour of this world. It knew that no other tree had that privilege as it had, to hold Him till His last breath. It gave a huge sigh of relief, as it understood that its purpose was fulfilled at last!

Dear children, know that each one of us was created by God to fulfill His purposes on earth. Therefore live out God's purposes in your lives, whatever it may be. You may be called to be of help to the old, the sick, the lonely the poor or the outcast.  

Do ask Jesus what His purpose for you is, in your life. Just yield yourself into the hands of Father God Who our carpenter. His skilled hands will turn you into something beautiful and useful. You will become very special one day!

Live your life to the fullest. Let your life glorify Him at all times.  Jesus suffered and died on the cross for you and me. He died so that we may be freed from sin's clutches  and enjoy fullness of life with Him forever.  So make Him proud by living a life pleasing to Him. 

In this story trees can talk, feel and think. Although in reality they can't.  Hope you enjoyed listening to it /reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it for you. 

God bless you as you walk closely with Jesus daily.🙌

Mary Augustine ✍️ 🌹

Good Friday 7th April 2023