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 at 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

So, be careful what you plant now; it will determine what you will reap later