A 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
was to have such a fine son, and told him how much he loved him. He handed
his son a beautifully wrapped gift box.
Curious, and somewhat disappointed, the young man opened the box and
found a lovely, leather-bound Bible, with the young man's name embossed in
gold. Angry, he rose his voice to his father and said "with all your money you
give me a Bible?" and stormed out of the house.
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?