day 839: Seed Stage

"The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed planted in the field."

When I tell people I invest in companies at the "seed stage" they either immediately understand, or I have to explain to them what I personally mean by "seed stage". For me, a "seed stage" company is one where the business idea and the original team are encapsulated in a seed and planted just below the ground where it can't be yet seen. For anyone who has ever gardened, you know that this the most mysterious stage of growing. How can these little pellets turn out to be a big plant or vegetable? And, once they are in the ground it is all about doing our part of giving them protection from the elements, enough food and nutrients in the dirt, water and sunlight and then watching and waiting. That's what seed investing is like. It's funny, I know many investors who lose patience too quickly with a start-up and then force them to try and grow faster or differently than what they were intended. What I have learned is that sometimes you have to wait and be patient and with the right "gardening' and tending, they will come.

Jesus told us that the Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed. The mustard seed is the smallest of all and turns into a huge tree. But that mustard tree only grows at the pace that it is supposed to grow and if we someday want to sit within its' shade, we must wait. We must wait on the Kingdom of Heaven. God gives us glimpses along the way but He expects our faith to be strong enough that waiting for something miraculous is just fine with us. What has ever come from instant gratification? Not much that I can conjure up. Today is about another step forward in our journey to God's Kingdom. Let's make the most of today and do all that we can to purposefully work to bring glory to Him in what we do.

Reference: Matthew 13:31 (New Living Testament)