The story of the “Three Trees”: Where Children Encountered God

I had the joy of spending the day with a Year 4 class in a local school and leading a session on trees. It was one of those days that leaves you smiling on the way home.The children were thoughtful, engaged and curious throughout the day. They listened so well, asked wonderful questions and really entered into the stories we shared.

One moment, though, has stayed with me.

I was reading The Tale of Three Trees - the story of three trees, each with a different dream for their future. One hopes to become a beautiful treasure chest, another longs to be a mighty ship and the third dreams of growing into the tallest tree in the world - pointing people towards God.

As I read, the classroom became completely still. It was one of those rare moments where you could have heard a pin drop. When the first tree became a manger, I paused to tell them that a baby was laid there. Almost instantly, there was a collective gasp as the children realised whose manger it was. In that moment, something shifted.

I can't fully explain it, but I felt incredibly emotional. Standing there in the middle of the story, I found myself wanting to cry. It wasn't sadness, it was the overwhelming sense that something holy was happening in that classroom. As the story came to its conclusion and the third tree became a cross, reminding everyone who looked at it of God, the children simply sat for a moment.

Then completely spontaneously, they applauded. No one had asked them to. It wasn't for me. It was simply their response to the story they had just heard.

I've been reflecting on that moment ever since. I can't quite put my finger on why it affected me so deeply, but it felt sacred. It felt like worship. It was one of those gentle reminders that God is still at work in classrooms, in stories and in the hearts of children.

- Joyce

If stories like this encourage you, we'd love you to join our community by signing up to our monthly newsletter at the link below. Where we share reflections from schools, inspiring moments of faith and updates on how God is at work through our ministry.

Sign up to our Monthly Newsletter HERE