Sharron’s Blog:: November 7 – “It’s what’s inside that Counts”

  I ran across this journal entry today and felt I should post it on my blogg, especially as the world, people and times in which we now live are so different, from when we were growing up... at least to us it seems so. This experience amused me and I thought about God as he chose Israel's king and Samuel, who chose based upon the outward appearance but God chose by what was on the inside, the heart. 

November 7, 2008

Today I substituted at Milford ES School for 1st graders.  The teacher’s instructions were to read them a story “Clara Caterpillar”.  While I had them all seated down on the floor ready to read, one of the children snickered, “Ms. Wright, he said (pointing at the boy seated next to him)…your nose looks funny!” and then several others joined in snickering and shook their heads, “yes!”  My first thought was, “I wonder if I have something on my nose" but discovered I did not. Well, I could have withdrawn and become sensitive about it, but I spoke up and said, “Well, let me see…does it look like an elephant’s nose? (NO! the kids yelled) How about a baboon or a chimpanzee?  NO! the kids yelled in unison…then it must be a dog’s nose right?  NO! the kids yelled, really getting into this thing with spirit!  Then it must look like a cat or a bunny rabbit’s nose?  NO!  Yelled the kids.  After coming up with a few other critters, I then said, “Well then, does it look like a human’s nose?”  YES!  They all yelled in unison. Then I quietly, with a big smile, stated: “Then I like it, because it is MY nose, and I pointed up and said because “HE” made my nose especially for me and my face and HE (pointing up) likes it, so I do too!” One child said, “I know who – GOD!”

I then read them the story and the kids seemed to really pick up on the moral of the story…The story was about a caterpillar that was plain – nothing seemingly out of the ordinary about her and some others that were quite haughty about their beauty and looks compared to Clara.  As it turns out, after they emerge from their cocoon and had become beautiful butterflies, the red conceited one, Catishia” was quite strikingly beautiful – in fact so beautiful she caught the eye of a crow that decided to have her for lunch – she would make a juicy morsel for lunch (thought the crow!).  Clara comes to the rescue and considering she is just a plain creamy color, she starts yelling at the crow and gets him to chase her, then she darts over to the flowers which just happen to be cream color also, and vanishes right before the crow’s eyes!  Her ordinary plain color saved Catisha’s life, to which she and all the other more beautiful butterflies are now very grateful.  She ends by saying, “I like myself just the way that I am – I am happy to be me!”  All the other butterflies agree she is very special and all decide she is very beautiful!

I guess the Good Lord decided to give them a real example to bring it home – ME! I think they will remember that little “life’s lesson or moral of the story” and perhaps we can as well!

Sharron Wright

SCRIPTURES:Samuel 16:6¶So it was, when they came, that he looked at Eliab and said, “Surely the LORD’s anointed is before Him!” 7¶But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees;fn for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”16:11And Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all the young men here?” Then he said, “There remains yet the youngest, and there he is, keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him. For we will not sit downfn till hee ccomes here.”12 so he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with bright eyes, and good-looking. And the LORD said, “Arise, anoint him; for this is the one!” 3 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel arose and went to Ramah.
Proverbs 31: 29 Many daughters have done well,
But you excel them all.”
30 Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised. 31 Give her of the fruit of her hands, And let her own works praise her in the gates.
1 Timothy 2:9 NKJV — in like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing,
1 Peter 3:3 NKJV — Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel—4 rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. 5 For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands, 6 as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose daughters you are if you do good and are not afraid with any terror.