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 ？”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？Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not；but remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for．Sometimes we don't realize the good fortune we have or we could have because we expect“the packaging”to be different．What may appear as bad fortune may in fact be the door that is just waiting to be opened．
Words and Expressions
- dealer n．经销商
- approach vt．& vi．接近，走近，靠近
- await vt．等待；期待
- Bible n．圣经
- emboss vt．压印浮凸字体（或图案）；凹凸印
storm vi． 狂怒
pass away过世
- will vt．将（财产等）遗赠某人
- tag n．标签
paid in full款已付清
- spoil vt．损坏；毁掉；破坏；搞坏
Read and recite the following sentences：
How many times do we miss blessings because they are not packaged as we expected？Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not；but remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for．Sometimes we don't realize the good fortune we have or we could have because we expect“the packaging”to be different．What may appear as bad fortune may in fact be the door that is just waiting to be opened．
Now try and write out the sentences here：
How many times do we miss blessings because __________？Do not spoil __________ by desiring __________；but remember that what you now have was once __________．Sometimes we don't realize the good fortune we have or we could have because__________．What may appear as bad fortune may in fact __________．
错过的祝福
一个年轻人快大学毕业了。几个月来，他一直渴望拥有那辆陈列在某汽车经销商展厅里的漂亮跑车。他知道，买这样一辆车对他那富有的父亲来说根本不成问题。于是，他便把愿望告诉了父亲。
毕业典礼在即，年轻人期待着父亲给他买跑车。终于，在毕业典礼的那天早上，父亲把他叫到书房，告诉他，他为有这么优秀的儿子而骄傲和自豪，他是多么爱他。然后，父亲递给他一个包装精美的礼品盒。年轻人很吃惊，他失望地打开盒子，看到里面是一本精装版的《圣经》。他的名字用烫金的凸字印在上面。
他愤怒地对父亲吼道：“你那么富有，却只送我一本《圣经》？”说完，便丢下书，跑出了家门。
多年以后，年轻人事业有成，拥有漂亮的房子和温馨的家。他想到父亲年岁已高，应该去看看他老人家。自从毕业那天起，他就一直没与父亲见面。就在动身启程时，他收到了一份电报——父亲已过世，并立遗嘱将所有财产留给了他。
他来到父亲的房间时，伤痛和懊悔立即充斥了他的心。在寻找父亲遗留下来的那些重要文件时，他发现了那本《圣经》，还和几年前一样新。他含泪打开它，一页页翻看起来。这时一把车钥匙从书里掉了出来。钥匙上的标签写着汽车经销商的名字——正是他曾想要的那辆跑车的经销商。标签上还有他的毕业日期和“款已付清”的字样……
多少次，我们与幸福擦肩而过，只因为它们的包装不是我们想象中的样子。我们相信你本该会喜欢它。不要为渴望得到没有的东西，而伤害你所拥有的，要谨记一点：你现在所拥有的正是你曾经迫切想得到的。有时，我们并未意识到自己曾经或身处幸运之中，只因它的外表与我们梦想中的有所不同。事实上，表面的不幸或许正是等待开启的幸福之门。