The Ultimate Gift is a novel by Jim Stovall that tells the story of a young man named Jason Stevens who is given a series of gifts by his wealthy grandfather, Red Stevens. Each gift is meant to teach Jason a lesson about the true meaning of life and success.
In Chapter 1, we are introduced to Red Stevens, a successful and wealthy businessman who is on his deathbed. Red has spent his entire life accumulating wealth and material possessions, but as he nears the end of his life, he begins to question the value of these things. Red realizes that he has not truly lived a fulfilling life and has not done enough to help others.
Red decides to leave his wealth to his grandson, Jason, but not in the traditional way. Instead, he creates a trust fund that will only be released to Jason if he completes a series of tasks, or "gifts," that Red has chosen for him. These gifts are meant to challenge Jason and help him learn important life lessons.
The first gift that Red gives to Jason is the gift of work. Red asks Jason to work for a year at a struggling non-profit organization, without receiving any salary or compensation. This gift is meant to teach Jason the value of hard work and the importance of helping others.
As Jason begins his work at the non-profit, he struggles to adapt to his new surroundings and to understand the value of the work he is doing. He is used to living a life of luxury and is not used to working hard for little pay. However, as he spends more time at the non-profit, he begins to see the positive impact he is having on the lives of the people he is helping. He also begins to develop a sense of purpose and fulfillment that he has never experienced before.
In Chapter 1, we see the beginning of Jason's journey towards understanding the true meaning of success and happiness. Through the gift of work, he learns that true success is not measured by wealth or material possessions, but by the positive impact one has on the lives of others.