Hello, my name is Mange and this is my story. This is not a story great adventure, where the hero rescues the princess from grave danger and they run away together, get married and live happier ever after. However this is a simple story, which shows, how God works. If God can use a worthless thing like me to perform a small but significantly important act that positively changed my existence forever, he can also use you and change your live forever.
I was a sucker taken from a big and mighty tree, I was planted in an extremely fertile field, by Farmer John. I was watered every day when there was a dry spell, and I was fertilized on a regular basis. My life was good and I was happy. I was growing well and Farmer John had big plans for me when I mature. Ever-so-often, Farmer John will come around with his ax, he will look for and chop down the trees that were not growing as he expected them to, He did this to create more space for the other trees to strive and reach their maximum potential. The trees that were cut down before they mature, were used for fire wood, for cooking or to be burn in the fire place, on cold days to provide heat.
I knew, I was place on this earth to do something great, I will be important and I am destined for great things, but what exactly, I do not know. May be I will be an expensive piece of furniture in some rich person’s luxurious home or maybe I will hold books in a library. I have so much to look forward too.
Everything was going wonderful, I was living up to expectation, Like the other trees, I was growing well; I was expanding in height and width. Farmer John was so please with my progress, that sometimes, he will come over to me and hit me three firm examining strokes with his open palm, as if he was testing how solid I was. He only do that to those of us who he was really expecting great things from.
Then I realized, the other tree around me began to get bigger and taller than I was, and because they were taller than I was; I was not getting the sunlight I need to grow big and strong. We all know that trees cannot grow and produce without sunlight. The sun light was there, but I did not have access to it; because, before the sunlight reached me, it was blocked by the bigger taller trees. I knew that if I do not grow in width and height, I will be chopped down before I become fully mature, and if that happened, then my dreams of being important will be shattered. I will not be used for fire wood, immediately, because, I was big enough to make some unimportant piece of furniture. A piece of furniture that everyone ignores and take for granted.
One day the farmer came over to where I was planted and he looked at me with sad, disappointing eyes, he sag his lips in reluctance, and although he did not say a word, I knew exactly what he was thinking. Farmer John really thought, I would have been one of his best trees in this upcoming harvest. This made me really sad, but I did not have any control over how I grow, Life is so unfair. After standing there looking at me for a while, Farmer John began to swing his ax and very soon, I was lying on the ground, detached from my root. He had chopped me down; I had some value but not much. I was too big to make fire wood, for to use me as fire wood would be a waste but I was not big enough to be sold to the carpenter; so Farmer John threw me in the corner behind his wood shed. I was thrown behind the wood shed, because I was not valuable enough to be place in the wood shed; the wood shed was for the timber that were going to be sold to one of the many carpenter shops. I was dismayed by what I become, I sat idle and useless, all my potential was lost. I will never be important, I will never be of value.
One day, Farmer John sold me to the inn keeper and I was made into a feeding tray for Barn Animals. I was so disappointed, because my existence took a turn for the worst. I was very unhappy in my given role, as a feeding tray, when the animals ate, they slobber their saliva all over me, I was often stepped upon and sat upon; I was kicked over so many times, I have lost count. They vomited on me, they urinated on me and they have even defecated on a few times. From all the rough treatment, one of my leg is about to fall off. Any more rough treatment my bad leg will soon fall of, and I will be unable to stand on one leg, unable to balance or hold anything. I will be useless. I would have been better off as fire wood, at least I would have kept someone worm on a cold night.
One evening, there weather was very treacherous, the wind was blowing hard and it was cold; this was not the type of weather anyone will want to be caught outside in. That evening a young couple came into the stable, there was no room in the inn, so the young couple was allowed to stay in the stable, in order to keep the couple out of the cold weather and away from bad men who may try to rob and kill them. The man gathered hay together, then he spread a blanket over the hay he had gather together, so his pregnant wife could be comfortable. It was clear that the man love his wife very much, and it showed in the he was very attentive to her and her needs. Every five minutes he can be heard saying, “Mary are you ok?”
I was deep in thought, feeling sorry for myself all overwhelmed by dejection. When I heard the high pitch voice of Mary shouted, Joseph come quickly, immediately the attentive husband came running to her side. To my surprise, the lady went into child’s birth and delivered the baby in the stable. This was the most exciting thing that have ever happened since I was put here.
The lady took me and with very delicate and kind hands she cleaned me. Ooo! How good it feel to be clean, I felt like new except for my old, weak, broken leg that may fall of at any time and for any given reason; especially, if something heavy was placed in me. Then Mary gentle and methodically lay clean dry hay in me, from the care the young mother took in selecting and placing the hay in me, I knew she was special, because she touch me with such love and tenderness, she made me feel very important, I knew I was being prepared for some important task. This task may not be important to the world, but it was very important to this young mother, and that was enough for me.
After she methodically spread the hay in me, she gentle spread a blanket over the hay making a nice soft cushion, after which, with the care that only a mother knows, she gentle laid the baby on the soft cushion in me. The child was much heavier than the hay and my weak, broken lag began to give way, but I had to hold it together. I could not let this new mother down, I could not make this baby fall. I cannot fail in the execution of such an important mission. It is much bigger and better than anything I have ever done and I may never get another opportunity like this again. I am so thankful for this opportunity. Who would have ever thought that I this old Manger would have become a baby’s bed? The little feeding tray was very happy. He got to hold a new born baby.
Then something happened, out of thin air, I saw some people I have never seen before, they just appeared. They were Angels, I did not know Angels exist, Mang said to himself, I thought they were like fairies, only imaginary beings; but they really exist. Mang was shocked, by the appearance of the angels but the little feeding tray was devastated by what the angels said. Are you kidding me! Said the feeding tray. Are you kidding me! He repeated the words again. His weak legs began to tremble with fear. Mang had just understand the gravity, of the assignment, he was called to perform. Am I really carrying the son God? The one of whom the prophets spoke about hundreds of years ago. Nooooooo! Mange said in disbelief.
Then the shepherds came into the Stable and they looked at the baby with great amazement, as they whispered to each other, then they told a very interesting story; they spoke of the angels that appear to them while they were in the field, keeping watch over their flocks and told them that the Christ (the savior) was born. The angel knew they were looking for the savior that was foretold in the Holy Scriptures. They also told them to follow the star, so they did and the star led them to this stable, they wanted to see their Savior for themselves.
A few days later, three Kings came from distance land; the three Kings came into the stable dressed in their royal garb bearing gifts of Gold and other precious things. They spoke of the starts in the eastern skies which led them to the stable, and what was revealed to them from the study of the Holy Scripture, and the Prophecy; the Son of God was to be born in the city of David. They said they follow the star and they came to worship him. There were praises and adoration going up to heaven and to the child. I saw king fall onto their knees before me in worship of the little baby I was given the Godly honor and the privilege to hold.
Do you understand what is happening here? This baby that is sleeping peacefully in me is the son of God! The son of God is God. Now that I think of it. It all makes sense. It was God who made me, it was God who put that sense of importance within me, it was God who prevent me from growing into a mighty tree, It was God that caused me to be chopped down before I matured, it was God who cause me to be made into a feeding tray for animals, it was God who placed me in this stable. All the things I thought were bad things that happened to me, was really God preparing me for this awesome assignment. I was chosen by God out of billions of trees to bear his only son when he was born. All that I went through, God was preparing me to be the bearer of his only son and I will not fail him.
Always remember that God is preparing you to do something mighty for him, whether or not your assignment is recognized by the world, more importantly, it is appreciated by the Creator of the universe and everything that exist. God’s way of preparing us will make us perfect for the job he wants us to do. It does not matter what happens to me from here on in. I have been used by God in a simple but very important way.
