Books and Covers...and People - Virginia Smith
"You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat. … So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God. Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another." Romans 14:10, 12-13a
You can’t judge a book by its cover. We've all heard that saying. I know it's true, literally. I received a book as a gift not long ago, and when I saw the cover, I thought, "Nah. That story doesn’t appeal to me." Then, a week or so later I became desperate for fresh reading material and picked up the book. Wow. Within a page or so I was into the story, hooked by the author's writing and the character's conflicts.
Perhaps, more importantly, the saying is true figuratively. How many times have I formed an opinion about someone because of the way they look? Oh, I’m never rude to people, but have I missed getting to know a truly delightful person because I didn’t take the time to see behind the façade? Have I been put off by a scowl, perhaps? Or by clothing that isn’t ‘appropriate,’ by my personal standards? Have I discounted someone because they don’t speak my language well enough, or because their beliefs aren't the same as mine? Or even because I’m intimidated by the air of success they project? Am I missing some truly great stories because the cover doesn’t look all that appealing to me?
In the Bible, the psalmist tells us that God knows the secrets of our hearts. What’s on the outside doesn’t fool Him at all. I pray He’ll help me to be more like Him, to look past outward appearances. I want to discover the amazing stories He has written in people’s lives.
What about you?
Virginia Smith is the author of over a dozen novels including, A Taste of Murder, which was a finalist for the 2009 Daphne du Maurier Award of Excellence in Mystery/Suspense. Her latest release, Third Time’s a Charm, is the heartwarming conclusion to the Sister-to-Sister Series, which is based on her relationship with her own sisters. Learn more about Ginny and her books at
http://www.virginiasmith.org/
You can’t judge a book by its cover. We've all heard that saying. I know it's true, literally. I received a book as a gift not long ago, and when I saw the cover, I thought, "Nah. That story doesn’t appeal to me." Then, a week or so later I became desperate for fresh reading material and picked up the book. Wow. Within a page or so I was into the story, hooked by the author's writing and the character's conflicts.
Perhaps, more importantly, the saying is true figuratively. How many times have I formed an opinion about someone because of the way they look? Oh, I’m never rude to people, but have I missed getting to know a truly delightful person because I didn’t take the time to see behind the façade? Have I been put off by a scowl, perhaps? Or by clothing that isn’t ‘appropriate,’ by my personal standards? Have I discounted someone because they don’t speak my language well enough, or because their beliefs aren't the same as mine? Or even because I’m intimidated by the air of success they project? Am I missing some truly great stories because the cover doesn’t look all that appealing to me?
In the Bible, the psalmist tells us that God knows the secrets of our hearts. What’s on the outside doesn’t fool Him at all. I pray He’ll help me to be more like Him, to look past outward appearances. I want to discover the amazing stories He has written in people’s lives.
What about you?
Virginia Smith is the author of over a dozen novels including, A Taste of Murder, which was a finalist for the 2009 Daphne du Maurier Award of Excellence in Mystery/Suspense. Her latest release, Third Time’s a Charm, is the heartwarming conclusion to the Sister-to-Sister Series, which is based on her relationship with her own sisters. Learn more about Ginny and her books athttp://www.virginiasmith.org/
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