Little Tree Story

Not the usual fare I include, but the following is thought provoking and I decided to share.

The carpenter I hired to help me restore an old farmhouse had just finished a rough first day on the job. A flat tire made him lose an hour of work, his electric saw quit, and then his pickup truck refused to start.

I drove him home and when we arrived, he invited me in to meet his family. As we walked toward the front door, he paused briefly at a small tree, touching the tips of the branches with both hands. Upon opening the door he had undergone an amazing transformation. His tanned face was wreathed in smiles and he hugged his two small children and gave his wife a kiss.

He walked me to my car and as I was leaving, we passed the small tree. My curiosity got the better of me and I asked him about what I had seen him do earlier at the little tree.

"Oh, that's my trouble tree," he replied. "I know I will always have troubles on the job, but one thing's for sure, those troubles don't belong in the house with my wife and the children." "So I just hang them up on the tree every night when I come home and ask God to take care of them. Then in the morning I pick them up again."

"Funny thing is," he smiled, "when I come out in the morning to pick them up, there aren't nearly as many as I hung there the night before." ~ Author unknown