Graduation Present

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 graduation, his father called him into his private study. His father told him how proud he was to have such a fine son and he 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.

Angrily, he raised his voice to his father and said, "With all your money, all you give me is a Bible?" Then the boy stormed out of the house leaving the Bible there.

Many years passed and the young man was very successful in his business. He had a beautiful home and a wonderful family. But he realized that his father was very old and he thought perhaps he should go to make amends with him. He had not seen him since that Graduation Day. Before he could make the arrangements to go he received a telegram telling him that his father had passed away and that he had willed all of his possessions to his son. He needed to come immediately and take care of things. When he arrived at his father's house a sudden sadness and regret filled his heart.

He began to search through his father's important papers and there he saw it. The still new Bible, just as he had left it years ago. With tears he opened the Bible and turned 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 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 on it. It was the same dealer who had the sports car he had wanted so many years ago. 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 in the package that we expect?