The Seed

[Mark Edward Kroger]

http://www.thereflectionhouse.com/songs/Waylon_Ballad.mid

The Seed

A successful businessman 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, 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 and see what happened. Jim felt sick to 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 Officer! 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 asked.

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. "This was a test on integrity in the rough times. It had nothing to do with botany."

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 internal fortitude and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new Chief Executive Officer!"

If we can be trusted with the little things, we can be trusted with the big.

If we plant honesty, we will reap trust.

If we plant goodness, we will reap character.

If we plant humility, we will reap greatness.

If we plant perseverance, we will reap calmness under fire.

If we plant consideration, we will reap perspective.

If we plant hard work, we will reap success.

If we plant forgiveness, we will reap forgiveness.

So, we need to be careful what we plant now; it will determine what we will reap later.

Author Unknown
http://inspireme.net/all_stories.htm

[Mark Edward Kroger]

Thanks, Juanita. When I first read it, it reminded me of a quote: "When I was all alone, I stayed true and then I heard, "This was only a test." I am so glad the Lord puts people in our lives to encourage us to tarry on. A little here, a little there...

Thanks so much Juanita, for the encouragement.

Mark

[Juanita]

I shared this with my entire company - even before I did, people were reading it and sharing it with others.  Thanks for sharing!

[Mark Edward Kroger]

Thanks so much, Juanita.

[Juanita]

AWESOME STORY!!!