Story 005 - Graduation Gift
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, his voice rose as he said to
his father, "With all your money, you give me a Bible?"
and stormed out of the house.
Many years passed and the young man became very successful in
business. He had a beautiful home and wonderful family, but
he realized that his father was very old, and thought perhaps he
should go to him. He had not seen him since that graduation
day.
However, before he could make arrangements, he received a
telegram telling him his father had passed away, and had left 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 gift-wrapped 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 we can't see
past our own desires?