Book Excerpt: A Tale of Wealth, Charity, and Self-Discovery

In the novel The Ultimate Gift, Jim Stovall, a motivational speaker, writes a tale about Howard (Red)

Stevens, who made billions in oil, cattle, and investments, spoiling his family along the way by giving them everything they wanted without expecting anything in return. Following his death, his three children and other greedy relatives received their expected inheritances: chunks of his massive fortune.

But for Mr. Stevens’s great-nephew, Jason, a particularly selfish 24-year-old, Mr. Stevens had bigger plans. With the help of his dear friend and trusted adviser Theodore J. Hamilton, Mr. Stevens would spend a year communicating with Jason through a series of videotaped messages, sending the young man on a quest of self-discovery intended to help him find the meaning of life beyond financial gain, and, thus, what the author calls “the ultimate gift.”

In the following excerpt from the novel, Mr. Hamilton plays the first videotape for Jason.

Red Stevens cleared his throat and began to speak. “Well, Jason, since you’re watching this videotape, we will assume that I have kicked the bucket, bit the dust, bought the farm, and gone on to my just rewards. I know that my instructions have been followed to my letter, so you are viewing this video with my oldest and dearest friend, Theodore Hamilton, and his trusted associate, Margaret Hastings. Son, you don’t know enough to realize it, but these are two of the finest people to ever walk God’s green earth.”

“Jason, I lived my life in a big way. I had a lot of big accomplishments, and I made a lot of big mistakes. One of the biggest mistakes I ever made was when I gave everyone in our family everything that they thought they ever wanted. It took me many years to figure out that everything we ever do or know or have in this life is a gift from the good Lord. He has a special plan for each of us, and He has provided everything we need to fulfill that plan. I spent many years trying to achieve happiness or buy it for friends and family. Only as an old man did I come to learn that all happiness comes from the gifts that God has given us. Unfortunately, the money and possessions I spread around didn’t help people to understand the gifts that have been provided for us. In trying to make up for all the times I wasn’t there, I gave them all material things. In doing so, I robbed them of everything that makes life wonderful.

“I think my family members are all permanently ruined. It’s like when a horse goes bad. You simply have to take him out and shoot him. Unfortunately, as my lawyer Mr. Hamilton advised me, shooting our entire family would be frowned upon. Therefore, I have taken steps in my will to provide a living for all of these relatives even if they will never experience life.

“You, on the other hand, Jason, may be the last great vestige of hope in our family. Although your life to date seems to be a sorry excuse for anything I would call promising, there does seem to be some spark of something in you I am hoping we can capture and fan into a flame. For that reason, I am not making you an instant millionaire for the rest of your life.”

Jason slammed his open palm onto the conference table and began to speak, but was interrupted by Red Stevens’ words from the videotape. “Now, Jason, before you mouth off and embarrass both you and me in front of these fine people, let me explain the ground rules here.

“On the first of each month for the next year, you will meet with Mr. Hamilton and Miss Hastings and be given one element of what I call the ultimate gift.

“If you stay the course over the next year, and embrace each element, at that point you will be the recipient of the most significant bequest I can leave you through my will. But understand, if at any time you do not perform as indicated, or if you give Mr. Hamilton or Miss Hastings an undue amount of difficulty, I have instructed Mr. Hamilton, through my will, to stop the process and leave you with nothing.”

At that point, the video ended, and we all sat in silence. Finally, Jason turned to me and, in a belligerent tone, said, “That old man was crazy.”

I sighed and replied, “Well, young man, it is certain that someone is crazy, and I think this little project is going to give us all the opportunity to find out who that someone may be.”

I stood and offered my hand to Jason as I moved toward the door. He ignored my outstretched hand and said, “Wait a minute. What’s the deal here? Why don’t you just tell me what’s going on, and what I get?”

“All in good time, young man,” I said to him over my shoulder as I walked out of the room.

I could hear Jason’s angry voice as I retreated down the hall. “Why couldn’t he just leave me money like everybody else?”

I could hear the calm voice of Miss Hastings reply, “He loved you too much to do that.”

The excerpt from The Ultimate Gift © 2001, by Jim Stovall, is reprinted with permission of Cook Communications Ministries (http://www.cookministries.com). It may not be reproduced without permission from the publisher.