When I was a child in the Virginia/Maryland area, we used to buy crab cakes at a small “hole in the wall” behind the office of the marina where my father kept his boat. If we had avoided the ramshackle surroundings, my sister and I would not have developed our early love for crab cakes. Another boring outside for me was a large series of children’s biographies that I read in early elementary. I could find them easily in libraries because they were all the same size (about 150 pages) with plain orange covers and black-lettered titles. Ugly outside, but inside were rich experiences affecting my livelong love for reading. Crab cakes and a child’s reading are childhood matters, but inner worth obscured beneath outer distraction can extend to areas of significant spiritual value.
Judging books by covers is different for me now. I have been blessed to work with children’s literature in my profession, and I can’t walk through the children’s area in a bookstore without laughing at the funny cover of Pink is for Blobfish 1 (Jess Keating, illustrated David DeGrand) and sighing at the enchanting cover of Hello Earth 2(Joyce Sidman, illustrated Miren Asiain Lora). Both have incredible inner worth and outer appeal. Outward appeal is not necessarily bad unless it hides more important Inner worth.
Biblical Heroes
Outer distraction is particularly dangerous when inner worth of people is involved.
One of the best known of deceptive outsides was young David. When the sons of Jesse were brought before Samuel, the prophet was first drawn to the well-endowed Eliab. But the Lord corrected Samuel: “Man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.” After displaying outward appearances of seven others, the Lord sent for David, who was still tending sheep. His outside didn’t look much like a king, but the Lord knew his inside worth was ready (1 Samuel 16:6-13).
Goliath and two armies also judged David by outward distractions. David was not big enough to use helmet, armor, a
nd sword. His only weapon was a sling with five smooth stones. Only one stone was required; the inner worth of David in the Lord’s cause did not need more.
Another powerful leader starting with outward distractions was Enoch. When called by the Lord, he responded, “I . . . am but a lad, and all the people hate me; for I am slow of speech.” The Lord knew Enoch’s inner worth, his incomparable potential: “No man shall pierce thee. Open thy mouth, and it shall be filled, and I will give thee utterance, for all flesh is in my hands, and I will do as seemeth me good.”
What seemed good to the Lord was for Enoch to convert a very wicked people to extreme righteousness. Enoch’s preaching was so powerful that “all the people” who had hated him were afraid of him. After 365 years, their inner worth was fulfilled. God took them to heaven (Moses 6:31-32).
Those who watched a common woman walking behind harvesters to pick up stray pieces of grain saw only an outward condition; but Ruth’s superior inner worth was known to her mother-in-law, Naomi, and to the Lord.
And despite the outward inconvenience of being in prison, the inner worth of Paul kept expressing itself in his epistles.
Today’s Homes and Neighborhoods
I think of a dear friend whose youngest child, a daughter, had severe and obvious physical disabilities and had to be carried everywhere. The mother needed to take something to her son in junior high school. Knowing the cruelty of some students this age, she hoped he would not be teased or bullied because of his sister. With his inner worth strong and loyal, her son saw them come in the door and ran to them, throwing his arms around his sister and giving her a huge hug. Outward appearances do not interfere with valued love.
Elder Christophe G. Giraud-Carrier spoke recently of a ministering service by his wife Isabelle. A woman who was embittered by aging, widowhood, poor health, and loneliness was living in a stuffy apartment with an unpleasant smell. When this angry woman had surgery on both of her feet, Isabelle went daily to wash her feet and change bandages. Isabelle’s husband explained, “[Isabelle] never saw ugliness; she never smelled stench. She only ever saw a beautiful daughter of God in need of love and tender care . . . She sees with her heart; she sees the child of God in everyone.” 3
The Lord knows and chooses those with inner worth. Thomas S. Monson told of James Womack, who had lost both of his hands and one arm in World War II, but refused to accept the outward distractions of disabilities. However, when President Spencer W. Kimball called him as a patriarch, Brother Womack anticipated a problem: ” As you can see, I have no hands to place on the head of anyone.” President Kimball then asked Brother Womack to stand behind the chair where he as prophet was seated. “Now, Brother Womack, lean forward and see if the stumps of your arms will reach the top of my head.” They did.
“I can reach you! I can reach you!” Brother Womack exclaimed. “Of course you can reach me” was the reply. “And if you can reach me, you can reach any whom you bless. I will be the shortest person you will ever have seated before you (dialogue in original).” 4 Being short or having visible disabilities doesn’t affect supreme inner worth.
Growing up in a home with high outward emphasis, I lived with unhealthy criticism of myself and others. I still struggle with the effects. Only God can really change our hearts to recognize and value inner worth.
(Images by Claudet and Lievens/ Wikimedia Commons)
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