The Gift

"About to graduate from high school, a young man from a wealthy family was anticipating his gift. It was the custom in that affluent neighborhood for the parents to give the graduate a new car. Jason and his father had spent months looking at cars, and the week before graduation they found the perfect car. Jason was certain that this car would be his on graduation night. Imagine his disappointment when immediately following the graduation ceremony, Jason's father handed him a small, elegantly wrapped package. It must be the keys to my new car, Jason thought.

Upon opening the gift, though, all he found was a Bible with his name imprinted on the front. A Bible? He took it out, looking to find car keys in the box. Empty! Jason was so angry that he threw the Bible down and stormed out of the house. His father tried to stop him, but Jason kept on running. He and his father never saw each other again.

News of his father's death finally brought Jason home again. As he went through the possessions he was about to inherit from his father, he came across the graduation Bible. Brushing away the dust, he opened it and began idly flipping through the pages. A paper tucked inside caught his eye and he pulled out of the Bible a cashier's check, dated the day of his graduation, in the exact amount of the car he and his father had chosen."

This short story very accurately describes how many of us approach our relationship with God. We expect certain things from God because he is our Heavenly Father and he is supposed to be good. If God is good and loves us, we naturally expect things to go well in our lives; good health, great job, obedient talented kids, a full bank account, a fantastic marriage and most of all happiness. Don't tell me that you haven't had those types of expectations of God—we all have.

So how do you respond when things don't work out? What is your response when the job falls through? How do you react when you find out its cancer? Do you run from God? Do you become angry with what He has allowed to come into your life? Or do you stop to rummage through and look into the situation? If we would just stop, and instead of running from God simply ask the question: "God what good thing do you want me to learn?" Or maybe, "God thank you for this gift to teach me ________."

 

² Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³ because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. ⁴ Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. ⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him." ~ James 1:2-5