Hidden Crystals

Read 1 Samuel 16:6-11

Becca watched eagerly as Mrs. Sanders held up an ugly old stone. “This looks like an ordinary rock, doesn’t it?” said Mrs. Sanders. Then she turned it around. The rock had been broken open, and the class could see beautiful, sparkling crystals on the inside. “This kind of stone is called a geode,” said Mrs. Sanders as she picked up a box and handed it to a boy sitting at the front of the class. “When the box comes around to you, you may each take out a piece to keep.”

Becca was excited. She never would have guessed from looking at the ugly outside of the rock that the inside would sparkle so much. She chose one of the pieces, then turned and handed the box to Claire, who sat behind her. Becca didn’t like Claire much. Claire had big, crooked teeth and was not very pretty. She’s almost as ugly as the outside of the geode, thought Becca.

As Becca was running down the school steps at the end of the day, someone bumped her. Her books tumbled down the stairs, and papers scattered everywhere. Whoever bumped her didn’t even stop.

Becca was picking up her belongings when she heard a voice. “Here, let me help you.” Becca looked up and saw Claire kneeling beside her, gathering loose papers.

“Thanks,” mumbled Becca. She was so surprised that she couldn’t think of anything else to say as they gathered the rest of her things.

“Oh! Here’s your stone!” exclaimed Claire. She picked up the piece of geode from the bottom step and handed it to Becca. “It’s pretty, isn’t it?”

As Becca took the stone, she thought about how people could be like the geode—not very pretty on the outside, but beautiful inside. Like Claire. “I have a rock collection at home, Claire. Would you like to come over to my house and see it?” invited Becca.

Claire smiled. “Sure,” she answered.

How about you?

Do you choose your friends by how they look? Do you ignore people who are overweight or have big ears or a crooked nose? God looks at the inside, the part that’s important. If you want to be more like him, don’t judge what’s inside people just by looking at the outside. Get to know them.

Memorize:

“Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment.” John 7:24, NIV