Life Package

A young man was getting ready to graduate 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. Angrily, he raised his voice at his father and said, "With all your money you give me a Bible?" and stormed out of the house, leaving the holy book.

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 things. When he arrived at his father's house, sudden sadness and regret filled his heart.

He began to search 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 read those words, a car key dropped from an envelope taped behind 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?

Courage and Hardships

There's a beautiful statue in Mexico that bears the unusual title, In Spite Of. The name was given to honor the sculptor rather than the subject in stone. It happened this way. During the time he was creating the statue, the sculptor suffered an accident and lost his right hand. But he was so determined to finish the statue that he learned how to chisel with his left hand. So the statue was entitled, In Spite Of, because in spite of his handicap, the sculptor completed his work.

In spite of blindness, Milton wrote. In spite of deafness, Beethoven composed. In spite of blindness and deafness, Helen Keller made speeches. In spite of rheumatic hands, Renoir painted. In spite of losing his right hand, the Mexican sculptor completed the statue with his left hand.

In spite of being blind, deaf, crippled, old, arthritic, poor, young, persecuted, or uneducated, people have overcome, excelled, accomplished, and triumphed. And you can, too. Reach for your goal in spite of your hardships and problems and I will see you at the top!

"Character may be manifested in the great moments, but it is made in the small ones."

~ Phillips Brooks