The Package
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, 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 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:
Matthew 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?
I trust you enjoyed this. Pass it on to others. Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; but remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for...
IF YOUR GIFT IS NOT PACKED THE WAY YOU WANT IT, IT'S BECAUSE IT IS BETTER PACKED THAT WAY! ALWAYS APPRECIATE LITTLE THINGS;
THEY USUALLY LEAD YOU TO ATTACHMENTS!
Never pass up an opportunity to tell someone how you feel about them.
And when it comes to good friends,or family: forgive, forgive, forgive!
It's never worth the pain to hold grudges, go years without seeing someone, or missing an opportunity to say I LOVE YOU! Life is so short and you just may never get the chance to tell them again.
