Young Graduate
young man was getting ready to graduate from college. For many months he
had admired a beautiful sports car in a dealer's showroom, and knowing his
father could well afford it, he told
him that was all he wanted. As Graduation Day approached, the young man
awaited signs
that his father had purchased the car. Finally, on the morning of his
graduation, his father called
him into his private study. His father told him how proud he to have such a
fine son, and told him how much he loved him. He handed his son a beautiful
wrapped gift box. In the box he found a lovely, leather-bound Bible, with
the young man's name embossed in gold. Angrily, he raised his voice to his
father and said, "With all your money you give me a Bible?" and stormed out
of the house, leaving the Bible.
Many years passed and the young man was very successful in business. He had
a beautiful home and wonderful family, but realized his father was very old,
and thought perhaps he should go to him. He had not seen him since that
graduation day. Before he could make arrangements, he received a telegram
telling him his father had passed away, and willed all of his possessions to
his son. He needed to come home immediately and take care of things.
When he arrived at his father's house, sudden sadness and regret filled his
heart. He began to search through his father's important papers and saw the
still new Bible, just as he had left it
years ago. With tears, he opened the Bible and began to turn the pages. His
father had carefully
underlined a verse, Matt 7:11, "And if ye, being evil, know how to give
good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Heavenly father which
is in heaven, give to those who ask Him?"
As he read those words, a car key dropped from the back of the Bible. It
had a tag with the dealer's name, the same dealer who had the sports car he
had desired. On the tag was the
date of his graduation, and the words ...PAID IN FULL.
How many times do we miss God's blessings because they are not packaged as
we expected?