A successful 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 announced, “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 each of you bring, and the plant I choose will be the one of 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!

The year finally went by and all the young executives of the company brought their plants to a meeting called by the CEO for inspection.

Jim told his wife that he wasn’t going to take an empty pot. But, she encouraged him to be honest about what had happened. Jim felt sick to his stomach; it was going to be the most embarrassing moment of his life. Yet, 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 even felt sorry for him!

When the CEO arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted his young executives. Jim stayed in the back of the room, hoping to not be noticed.

“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 plans to fire me!”

When Jim got to the front, the CEO asked him what had happened to his seed – Jim then told him and the group the whole 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! He couldn’t even grow his seed.

“How could he be the new CEO?” the others said.

Then the CEO explained. “One year ago today, I gave each person in this room a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me a year later, which is 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 saw 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 original seed in it.

“Therefore, he is the one I choose to be the new Chief Executive Officer!”

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* 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 God , you will reap a harvest.

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

- Author Unknown

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Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity than one who is crooked in speech and is a fool. Proverbs 19:1 ESV

The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them. Proverbs 11:3 ESV

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:8-9 NLT

For we aim at what is honorable not only in the Lord's sight but also in the sight of man. 2 Corinthians 8:21 ESV

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If you liked this story and would like a copy of either of my books,
they are available on Amazon in both paperback and Kindle format:

If you have a story or testimony that you think might bless others,
I invite you to send it by email to me (Kenneth Kersey) at godsotherways@me.com.

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