A Bruised Apple

An apple is one of my favorite fruits, and I often have one for a snack. Each time I go to eat an apple I look through the ones we have and pick the one that looks the best. This week there was one in the bunch that had a few bruises on it, so each time I went for an apple this week, I avoided that one and got another. Today, however, there were no other apples, so I decided to just cut out the bruises on the one left and eat it. Somewhat ironically, the one I had been avoiding all week because of its bruises turned out to be the sweetest and tastiest one of the bunch. While I was thinking (and perhaps inwardly chuckling) at the irony of this, it occurred to me that this situation is somewhat relatable to people. Most people are naturally attracted to the "beautiful people" of this world - the ones with lovely faces and great houses. Many do not seek out the people who are not so beautiful on the outside and the ones that struggle to make ends meet. This is because "man looks on the outward appearance". (1 Samuel 16:7) However, sometimes as we get to know the outwardly beautiful people in the world, we are surprised to find that their insides are anything but lovely. In the same way, sometimes as we get to know the people who are perhaps less than beautiful outwardly and we find that they have a heart that is truly stunning. This is not always the case; there are many outwardly beautiful people who have hearts to match and the same with less-than-pretty people with ugly hearts. However, the point remains. However cliche it sounds, it is true that you "can't judge a book by its cover". We must strive to get to know a person before deciding whether or not they are beautiful or ugly. Remember, sometimes it's the bruised apple that has the sweetest taste.