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. 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.

"The death of Jesus was not the death of a martyr, it was the

revelation of the eternal heart of God." - Oswald Chambers

Keep focused on God's goal, not yours.