There once were two brothers who spent their lives dedicated to their wheat farms. They lived across the dirt road from each other. The dirt road divided their wheat farms and their differences. Paul was a humble man whose focus was selflessness and kindness. Saul was very different, he was prideful and selfish.

When spring came they were eager to begin caring for their wheat fields, and with spring rains the wheat was beginning to grow in stature. The wheat heads were beginning to bow and it began to smell like summer wheat. 

Paul the elder of the brothers would walk through his fields, each day watching the wheat grow. He would watch the clouds in the sky and predict when rain would come. When the rain came Paul would walk outside and feel each drop on his skin. Paul was a wise man who led his life with humility and kindness. Saul, the younger of the brothers, would examine his brother's wheat field and the wheat fields of his neighbors and compare his success to their success. Saul was very jealous when others found better success than his own. Saul led his life in a prideful and selfish manner.

When the harvest was drawing nigh, Saul began to hire workers, he was determined to find strong working men ready and willing because he wanted to make money for his benefit. Saul looks at people's outer appearance and disregards their inner intent.  Paul follows in the footsteps of his thoughtful father and waits a week to hire employees. Paul waits because he knows that the most dedicated workers are the ones who struggle to get a job. Paul is one to look within people's hearts and learn who they are and what their intent may be. The kindness in Paul’s heart is what drives him to offer jobs to those who need it most.

With each day that went by, summer was coming to a close. Mornings and evenings felt crisp and cool. Paul would watch the sunset each day over the golden hills of wheat. Being observant was one of Paul's strengths, it helped him find success. While Paul was still waiting to hire he would watch Saul’s workers walk down the dirt road each evening.

After a week, each of Paul’s neighbors had made their hires and had begun their harvest. Now was the time to offer jobs to those in desperate need of work. Single mothers and children would walk down the road looking for work, and Paul’s heart would leap for joy each time he gave a job to a mother and her sons and daughters. 

Paul loved and cared for each of his employees, many were uneducated and loved to listen to Paul's stories as he worked alongside them. Paul treated his employees as he would his own family, he cared that each of them found success.

Saul had almost all of his wheat laid to dry due to his one-week start. The workers who labored in Saul’s fields never got help from Saul. Saul didn’t find it necessary to associate with people of the lower class. Saul continued to lift pride in his heart for he knew that his wheat was desirable. Saul was ungrateful for the work that his employees put in, and he was excited to make money off of his wheat. 

About half of Paul's wheat field was laid out to dry in the hot sun except the sun wasn’t going to stay long; the rains were coming early that year. The rains came and destroyed the wheat laying to dry in all the fields along the dirt road. The two brothers were both very disappointed, they were looking forward to reaping the rewards of a successful harvest and that wasn’t going to happen. Saul was disappointed because he wouldn’t be making much money that year, yet Paul was disappointed because he wouldn’t be able to reward his employees. 

The workers each walked up the muddy path to their bosses. Selfishly, Saul decided to fire each of his employees. Sauls workers walked back down the muddy path wondering how they were going to feed their families in the coming months. 

Paul gathered his workers together, hung his head in disappointment, and said, “I’m sorry, the rains have come and destroyed my hopes in providing for your families. I will pay you all that I receive from this crop but I'm afraid that it won’t be enough. You all have worked so hard and deserve more than I can offer. Come back in three months and I will pay you as much as I can.” 

There was a short moment of silence before a woman holding the hands of her two young sons said, “Wait! We still have half the harvest left, only half the wheat is laid to dry.”

Everyone nodded and a teenage boy exclaimed enthusiastically, “I will work until the harvest is over!” 

Everyone agreed and decided to follow in the boy's footsteps. After a week of rain, the beating sun came back. With scythes cutting the wheat at their base and the sun beating down on the piles of wheat, Paul and his friends exchanged smiles for their success. As they worked together they felt the chill breeze hit the back of their sweaty necks.

As the months of selling wheat went by for Paul he joyed to know that he reaped what he sewed. He put in the work and was carried the rest of the way. He did his part and could only hope it would pay off. He distributed all that he had earned from the harvest to his workers and they all agreed to come back the next year.

- - - 

Paul and Saul were two years older and wiser. They walked down the dirt road and Saul asked, “How are you so successful? I lift my head knowing that I’m strong and I hire strong workers.” 

Paul says in response, “Look at the wheat heads, the ones that lift their heads in pride are the ones that give the least to their farmer. Success isn’t through all the material or telestial things you have, it's the celestial or eternal things that bring success. Your knowledge is forever. Look at the wheat that hangs their heads low, go about life in wisdom rather than in pride, wisdom is spiritual discernment, it’s knowing that selflessness, humility, and kindness are what bring success”

As they continued down their path they both bowed their heads and remembered.