An American newspaper reported the sad story of a young man who expected his dad to give him a car as a graduation gift. But on the night of the graduation, instead of finding a car in the driveway, his Dad gave him a gift-wrapped Bible. He was so enraged he gave the Bible back, stormed out of the house and went to live with some friends.

Some months later his father died of a heart attack and the son returned home. He found the Bible he had refused to accept, and as he leafed through it and a piece of paper fell out. It was a bank cheque, dated the day of his graduation, made out to the car dealer for the exact amount of the car he’d wanted.

It had been his father’s way of giving him what he wanted while also giving him the one gift that would bless him forever; the gift of faith. But a self-centred vision caused him, like many of us, to miss it.