Once there was a young girl who worried about everything, but her biggest worry was whether or not she was a real Christian. If she thought for a moment that she loved God, the next moment it occurred to her than she didn’t love him enough. If she felt sincere in her faith, the obvious question was whether she was completely sincere. She thought she was being humble, but she had really learned to question God in everything He promised.
Her parents could see what was happening, and as she grew into her teen-aged years, the problem seemed to be getting worse, not better. Her dad and mom had prayed and talked about it a lot, and one Christmas her father decided to try something drastic. She was an only child so a Christmas morning talk wouldn’t be a problem.
Her dad got her a very nice diamond bracelet, and wrapped it in a beautiful package. Actually, her mom wrapped it, but you get the idea. When they were opening presents Christmas morning, she had untied the bow of her present when her father stopped her. “Now, Cindy,” he said, “have you ever worried that some Christmas morning that you would get your present opened, and the box would be empty?”
“No,” she said, and grinned.
“Now, why not?” he asked.
“Because you’re not like that,” she replied.
“And do you think that we are better than God?”
“No,” she said, but because they had talked many times before, she added. “But I think I do think you are like God in some ways. Almost every present I have ever gotten from you is nicer than I thought it was going to be. But I never thought I would get nothing.”
“Okay,” her dad said. “Go ahead and open it.”
And of course, when she did she was astonished and delighted beyond measure. She hugged both her mom and dad, and thanked them both profusely.
“Thank you for the bracelet. I love it. And thank you for the lesson that I know is here, but would it upset you if I asked what it was?”
Her dad grinned. “Here it is, and a bracelet to remember it by. Your mom and I are what you thought you were going to get. God is the bracelet . . . beyond everything you ever thought.”