Graduation Day



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 realised 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 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?