[Faith-talk] FW: [thefamilyoffaith] Senior Living Ministries - Looking Past the Superficial in Your Relationships

[Eric Calhoun]

Original Message: 
From: "TONY_at_FloridaHealth" <FloridaHealth21 at verizon.net>
To: <thefamilyoffaith at yahoogroups.com>
Subject: [thefamilyoffaith] Senior Living Ministries - Looking Past the
Superficial in Your Relationships
Date: 
Sun, 06 Feb 2011 06:23:54 -0500



           
             
              A man was strolling down the beach when he came upon a
cave. He ventured inside and stumbled upon a canvas bag filled with many
hardened clay balls. It looked as if someone had rolled the clay balls and
left them out in the sun to bake. They didn't look like much, but the man
took the bag anyway and headed out of the cave.

                  
                 
                         
                        But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not consider his
appearance or his height, for...the Lord does not look at the things man
looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the
heart."
                        --1 Samuel 16:7 
                       
                 
                 
                 
            As he strolled along the beach, he threw the clay balls, one
by one, into the ocean as far as he could. He continued this for some time
until he accidentally dropped one on the ground and it cracked open on a
rock. To his amazement, a precious stone was hidden inside!

            The man began breaking open the remaining 20 clay balls left
in his bag and found similar treasures in each one. Then it struck him. He
had just thrown more than 50 clay balls into the ocean. He could have had
thousands of dollars more in treasure, but he threw them all away because
they didn't look to be of much value.

            This is the same way we treat people sometimes. We look at
the rough exterior and decide it doesn't look like much, so we discount
them and toss them aside. We see that person as less important than someone
more beautiful, stylish, well-known, or wealthy.

            As believers, we must take time to get to know people,
regardless of appearance. If we do this, then the clay will begin to break
away revealing a brilliant gem inside. May we never find out that we have
thrown away a fortune in friendships because the gems were hidden in
unattractive bits of clay. May we always see others as Jesus does.

            Prayer Challenge
            Ask God to reveal the beauty inside others and show you those
people the way He sees them.
             
           
             
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