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. He 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 beautiful
wrapped gift box. Curious, but 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 raise his voice to his father and said, "With
all your money you give me a Bible, and he stormed out of the house, leaving
the Bible behind. Many years passed and the young man was very successful in
business. He had a beautiful home and wonderful family, but he 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 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 begin 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 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?

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