Speckled Eggs

 Once a week my husband gets up early and goes to the local markets. There he purchases our weekly supply of fresh fruit and vegetables.  

One stall also sells beautiful quality, nutritious, fresh, free range eggs. They are a fraction of the cost of the supermarket equivalent all because they are not considered perfect - on the outside anyway. They might be a bit lumpy, discoloured, speckled, a mix of sizes, too big or too small.

It amazes me that they are not considered good enough for the shops. Internally they are perfect. The yolks are bright yellow, almost orange. The white has a thick consistency, as a good fresh egg should. Personally I think they are superior to what the supermarket has on offer.

These humble eggs have a reputation. On more than one occasion, when a friend has heard that we are going to the markets, they have requested a dozen. A word of advice though - arrive early or you will be disappointed. They are very popular.

But notice that nobody seems to care what the exterior is like. Their value comes from the inside.

Too often I worry about my outer shell and how the world perceives me. Based on that opinion I am speckled, lumpy, the wrong colour, too big or small, and even have a crack or two.

^{1 Samuel 16:7} “The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”(NIV)

Thank goodness for that! But how is my yolk?

Dressing myself for the day, I am grateful for the wonders of makeup and clothing sewn just so. Cracking an egg into the pan for breakfast, I am reminded that the inside matters most. May my heart be beautiful to look on too.

^{2 Corinthians 4:16} Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. ¹⁷ For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. ¹⁸ So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (NIV)