Artist: Wilma Lee Cooper Key: Eb YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9t1RUCs7fb0 There is a lovely story, a legend though it be It tells how blessed Jesus was pitied by a tree 'Twas in the days when Jesus this Earth did walk upon The dogwood tree was larger, its wood was firm and strong How beautiful the story, the legend of the tree That fought for dear Jesus on cruel Calvary It proves that if we love Him, a blessing we'll receive Just as the lovely story of the lowly dogwood tree (Recitation) At the time of the Crucifixion, the dogwood attained the size of the oak and other forest trees So strong and firm was the wood of it, that it was chosen for the timber of the Cross To be used for such a cruel purpose greatly distressed the tree And Jesus sensed this and smiled upon it, and in His gentle pity for sorrow, said to it: Because of your regret and pity for My suffering, I make you this promise Never again shall the dogwood grow enough to be used for a cross Henceforth it shall be slender, and bent and twisted, and its blossoms shall be in the form of a cross Two long petals and two short petals, and in the center of the outer edge of each petal There'll be the nail print brown with rust and stained with blood And the center of the flowers will be an image of the crown of thorns And all who see it will remember that it was upon the dogwood tree I was crucified And this tree shall not be mutilated or destroyed, but cherished as a reminder of My death upon the Cross (Sung) Two petals long, two petals short, a symbol of the Cross On each the print of nails and blood which pictures Jesus' loss In the center of each flower the crown of thorns can see And so is told the legend of the lowly dogwood tree
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Barb Diederich's Bluegrass Lyric Database / barb@barbdiederich.com