Gifts Packaged as Disappointments


Is Packaging Important To You?
By: Author Unknown

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?” He then 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 a wonderful
family, but realizing his father was very old, he thought
perhaps he should go to see him. He had not seen him since
that graduation day. Before he could make the 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. As he was reading, 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 blessings because they are not
packaged as we expected?