On a recent camping trip, I spent some time staring at the stars. At first a light cloud layer made it difficult to see them, but the clouds soon melted away, leaving a clear panorama with millions of twinkling stars. Living in the city, I’m not used to seeing such a vast array. I noticed that the longer I stared, the more stars became

visible. It was as if the beauty was multiplying before my eyes, revealing stars that had been obscured by the glow of lights from the city.

Unfortunately, sometimes I allow stereotypes or the busyness of this world to obscure the beauty of those around me. I don’t look long enough for their true worth to come into focus. In today’s read- ing, Samuel assumed that God would choose Eliab as his anointed. Yet eventually, Samuel was reminded that God does not look at things as humans do. We see only the surface, but God knows a person’s heart and sees their true worth. God saw in David, his anointed, qualities that those around him had been unable to see.

Rather than focusing just on the surface, I want to be the kind of per- son who sees the qualities of someone’s heart and the value of every person.

Prayer: Dear Lord, help us to look past stereotypes and see those around us through your eyes. Amen