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Page 1. Title Page The Island of the Trees

Pages 2-3.Once upon a time there was a peaceful lake with an island at its center.

(Drawing of a lake with a low lying island with trees on it)

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"ll around the shores of the lake there were man# people. "ll of these people were in

trou$le and needed help. Onl# there was no one there to help them.

(Drawing of the same island but from farther away. In the foreground are silhouettes of

people. Their body language shows that they are troubled.)

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The people on the island had the knowledge and a$ilit# to help the people on the shore'

$ut the# were too $us#. The# were caring for their trees.

()rawing of people on the island mo*ing wheel$arrows' weeding around the trees'

pruning $ranches' etc. The trees are well spaced' and the whole atmosphere should looklike a neat cit# park. "t no point in the stor# should the trees $e shown with an# fruit.+

The trees were *er# important to the people. ,*er#one had their own trees to take care of'

and e*er#one thought his trees were the most important.

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The island people used to $e concerned a$out the people on the shore $ut as the# $ecame$usier with their trees the# forgot how to hear their cries for help.

/ut 0od heard them

()rawing of the sk# from $elow clouds with some ra#s of sunlight coming through.+

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The ord spoke to 4is people on the island. 5ou must go to the shore and help those

people. /ut the# did not hear 4im. The# were too $us# with their trees.

(Drawing angled from above upper left corner has light shining down - rest of picture

shows people still tending their trees.)

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Three times the ord spoke to them. Three times the# did not listen. That was when the

water $egan to rise on the island.

(Drawing of water around the base of smaller trees near the shore. There should be a

few rings around each tree to indicate movement of the water)

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7hen the people saw this the# $ecame afraid and pra#ed to 0od for help.

(Drawing of the people kneeling to pray silhouetted with their trees behind them.)

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0od answered them. 7hat do #ou want' m# children8 4e asked

9escue us: ;ake a $ridge to the shore so that we can lea*e now' and return when thewaters su$side.

(Drawing of the people looking up toward the upper right corner where there is

brightness. !n older man toward the front is gesturing with his arm spread someindicating a bridge. Trees are still in the background.)

0od did not answer. The water continued to rise.

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"gain' the people called out to 0od' 4elp us or we die:0od answered' /e still and listen.

It was hard for the people to $e still after $eing so $us# for so long. It took a while for

e*er#one to $e o' 4e said' ?ut down #our trees and make $oats for #oursel*es. Then #ou will $e

a$le to reach the people on the shore.

(Drawing front on and looking down like the view a parent would have when looking

down at young children. The peoples& faces should show varying emotions from shock

and fear to sadness and one man on the right should be turning away ready to obey.)

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@ome people were reluctant to cut down their trees. The# had put so much work into

them. Others set to work with aA and saw. @till the people on the shore cried out "nd thewater continued to rise.

()rawing of people among the trees 6 @ome are standing $etween the trees and thosewho wish to cut them down. One woman is literall# hugging her tree while near$# a man

is swinging an aA at the $ase of a tree. In the $ackground two men are using a crosscut

saw. ,*er#one is in water up to their knees+

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This little stor# has some o$*ious s#m$olism. The people on the shore are all the hurting

people who ha*e not heard the 0ospel #et. The island is the church' the people there are?hristians. The trees are all the distractions that we allow to take up our time and energ#.

The# ha*e man# names fa*orite church programs or ministries' personal preferences and

agendas' and' sadl#' our own attitudes. 7e nurse and nurture these trees' getting

continuall# more caught up in them. ;eanwhile' the world is d#ing and we wonder wh#the church is so ineffecti*e.

This stor# is $ased upon a prophetic utterance gi*en to a church in ;assachusetts. It was

gi*en as a warning. One #ear later the church was no longer there.

;a#$e #our church is like the people on the island. If so' itBs time to cut down some of#our trees.