The Seed
A
successful Christian business man was growing old and knew it was time to
choose a successor to take over the business.
Instead of
choosing one of his directors or his children, he decided to do something
different. He called all the young executives in his company together.
He said, "It is time for me to step down and
choose the next CEO. I Have decided to choose one of you! . "The young
executives were shocked, but the boss continued." I am going to give each
one of you a SEED today - one very special SEED. I want you to plant the
seed, water it, and come
back here one year from today with what you have grown from the seed I
have given you. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one
I choose will be the next CEO."
One man,
named Jim, was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed.
He went home and excitedly, told his wife the story.
She helped
him get a pot, soil and compost and he planted the seed. Everyday, he
would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks,
some of the other executives began to talk about their seeds and the
plants that were beginning to grow. Jim kept checking his seed, but
nothing ever grew. Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by, still
nothing. By now, others were talking about their plants, but Jim didn't
have a plant and he felt like a failure.
Six months
went by--still nothing in Jim's pot. He just knew he had killed his seed.
Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Jim didn't
say anything to his colleagues, however. He just kept watering and
fertilizing the soil - He so wanted the seed to grow.
A year finally went by and all the young
executives of the company brought their plants to the CEO for inspection.
Jim told his wife that he wasn't going to take an empty pot. But she asked
him to be honest about what happened. Jim felt sick in
his stomach, it was going to be the most embarrassing moment of his life,
but he knew his wife was right. He took his empty pot to the board room.
When Jim
arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other
executives. They were beautiful--in all shapes and sizes. Jim put his empty
pot on the floor and many of his colleagues laughed, a few felt sorry for
him!
When the CEO
arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted his young Executives. Jim just
tried to hide in the back. "My, what great plants, trees, and flowers you
have grown," said the CEO. "Today one of you will be appointed the next
CEO!" All of a sudden, the CEO spotted Jim at the back of the room with his
empty pot. He ordered the financial director to bring him to the front. Jim
was terrified. He thought, "The CEO knows I'm a failure! Maybe he will have
me fired!"
When Jim got
to the front, the CEO asked him what had happened to his seed - Jim told
him the story. The CEO asked everyone to sit down except Jim. He looked at
Jim, and then announced to the young executives, "Behold your next Chief
Executive! His name is Jim!" Jim couldn't believe it. Jim couldn't even
grow his seed. How could he be the new CEO the others said?
Then the CEO
said, "One year ago today, I gave everyone in this room a seed. I told you
to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I
gave you all boiled seeds; they were dead - it was not possible for them to
grow. All of you, except Jim, have brought me trees and plants and flowers.
When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed
for the one I gave you. Jim was the only one with the courage and honesty
to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be
the new Chief Executive!"
If you plant
honesty, you will reap trust. If you plant goodness, you will reap friends.
If you plant humility, you will reap greatness. If you plant perseverance,
you will reap contentment. If you plant consideration, you will reap
perspective. If you plant hard work, you will reap success. If you plant
forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation. If you plant faith in Christ,
you will reap a harvest. So, be careful what you plant now; it will
determine what you will reap later.
Two thousand
years ago Paul wrote to the church at Galatia the same story but with fewer
words, "What you sow, so shall you reap". (Gal. 6:7)
