Happened to be outdoors this morning, and started collecting a few conkers off the chestnut trees at the bottom of our yard. And it struck me that conkers have a certain similarity to Gods view of us. Conkers are prickly, jagged and pretty ugly really on the outside, but when you break off the outer shell, the hidden treasures inside. A beautifully smooth, mahogany coloured conker inside, not really what you’d expect by looking at the ugly shell alone. That’s what God meant when He said that man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart. If our hearts are pure, then that’s all that matters to God. And in today’s fashion-conscious label-conscious society it’s a point worth remembering. Another thing to note – don’t judge people simply on their outward appearance, but look rather to the purity and sincerity of their heart. Our opinions of people are often formed solely on the outward appearance of the person, and that’s something to be aware of.