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.
