IDENTIFY YOUR POTENTIAL AND MAXIMISE IT

Ecclesiastes 9:11

21st Century King James Version (KJ21)

¹¹ I returned and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.

 

Acres of Diamonds

One of the most interesting Americans who lived in the 19th century was

a man by the name of Russell Herman Conwell. He was born in 1843 and

lived until 1925. He was a lawyer for about fifteen years until he

became a clergyman.

One day, a young man went to him and told him he wanted a college

education but couldn't swing it financially. Dr. Conwell decided, at

that moment, what his aim in life was, besides being a man of cloth - that

is. He decided to build a university for unfortunate, but deserving,

students. He did have a challenge, however. He would need a few million

dollars to build the university. For Dr. Conwell, and anyone with real

purpose in life, nothing could stand in the way of his goal.

Several years before this incident, Dr. Conwell was tremendously intrigued

by a true story - with its ageless moral. The story was about a farmer

who lived in Africa and through a visitor became tremendously excited

about looking for diamonds. Diamonds were already discovered in abundance

on the African continent and this farmer got so excited about the idea

of millions of dollars worth of diamonds that he sold his farm to head

out to the diamond line. He wandered all over the continent, as the

years slipped by, constantly searching for diamonds, wealth, which he

never found. Eventually he went completely broke and threw himself into

a river and drowned.

Meanwhile, the new owner of his farm picked up an unusual looking rock

about the size of a country egg and put it on his mantle as a sort of

curiosity. A visitor stopped by and in viewing the rock practically went

into terminal convulsions. He told the new owner of the farm that the

funny looking rock on his mantle was about the biggest diamond that had

ever been found. The new owner of the farm said, "Heck, the whole farm

is covered with them" - and sure enough it was.

The farm turned out to be the Kimberly Diamond Mine...the richest the

world has ever known. The original farmer was literally standing on

"Acres of Diamonds" until he sold his farm.

Dr. Conwell learned from the story of the farmer and continued to teach

it's moral. Each of us is right in the middle of our own "Acre of

Diamonds", if only we would realize it and develop the ground we are

standing on before charging off in search of greener pastures. Dr. Conwell

told this story many times and attracted enormous audiences. He told the

story long enough to have raised the money to start the college for

underprivileged deserving students. In fact, he raised nearly six million

dollars and the university he founded, Temple University in Philadelphia,

has at least ten degree-granting colleges and six other schools.

When Doctor Russell H. Conwell talked about each of us being right on our

own "Acre of Diamonds", he meant it. This story does not get old...it will

be true forever...

Opportunity does not just come along - it is there all the time - we just

have to see it.

Earl Nightingale

From "Our Changing World" Radio Transcript