Posted on 04/25/2005 5:23:07 PM PDT by CHARLITE
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 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 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, 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 they are not packaged as we expected?
You know - after the day I had at work, I needed this. I really needed this.
That tale is old as the hills, all you changed what what he wanted. I remember my Dad telling it over 60 years ago.
And your point?
It's a very old story. In the original version the son wanted a racing chariot.
I suppose that most of the really good ones have been told, in one form or another, since people were hunters & gatherers relaxing around campfires telling stories. The oldest ones return in different forms, but they generally carry universal values.
Aesop's fables are as entertaining and revealing of human nature today as they were when he wrote them.
Actually, this one is a more elaborate, literary version of the one where the guy keeps pestering G-d for a new Ford. He keeps it up so long that G-d finally gives him the Ford with the admonition, "I had in mind to give you a Cadillac, but since you didn't trust me enough, you got the Ford that you kept pestering me for, instead."
And your point?
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