The Peanut Game

let's play the peanut game, shall we? make a list of how does a peanut look to you on the inside, then another list of what a peanut is on the inside.

Outside:

1. rough

2. dirty

3. brown

4. wrinkled

5. smells bitter

Inside:

1. tastes great

2. shiny

3. smooth

4. crunchy

5. fragrant

what's your list today about the outside and insides of a peanut?

the lesson here is:

don't judge a peanut by its shell, judge it by what's inside of it

everyone's a peanut. we all look different outside. tall, short, fat, skinny, white, brown, yellow, curly haired, straight haired, smart, slow, mandarin-speaking, english educated, overseas transfer, locals, leaders, followers, siblings, cousins, friends, rough, gentle, polite, crude, honest, introverted...

the list goes on how different we all our - our shells are different. and whether we admit or not, we're so caught up with labelling everyone by how they look/feel/sound on the outside, we neglect the "real stuff" inside.

discrimination and rejection is the very reason why there isn't understanding and acceptance. we won't allow the colour of a person's heart be the colour of his skin, the basis of his beliefs or self worth. but instead, we judge by what we see.

i'm guilty of this. everyday i walk into school, at the back of my mind... when i see someone not doing their work, the instant teacher alert goes off "lazy student!!!" and i've caught myself more than ever being judgemental and i have to fight it off daily the best i can and look at my students without prejudice and walk up to them and ask them why didn't they finish their work. and i realise, some of them have difficulty understanding the work, some were facing problems at home and it disrupted their concentration...

if you decide to put on tinted glasses or choose to look at everyone of you as a peanut on the outside... then you would only see a sea of peanuts everyday. your parents, friends, family,church, colleagues would just be the group of brown, rough looking, ugly and bitter peanuts. that's how everyone would look on the outside. everyone is just UGLY!

but what if you took the time to peel away that exterior. to peel away a person's faults, the crack open that hard shell and look beyond what people put on the outside? what would you find?

when you can crack that shell and look into a person's heart, you realise that the person has more than what meets the eye. inside that person, there could be potential and strength. as you strip away those layers of discrimination, you realise that the person sitting next to you could be just the same as you. and you find that you do have something in common after all : )

as much as people around you look like an old, brown and dusty peanut... you are a peanut as well. and wouldn't you like to tell people that inside this peanut, you're more than what is outside? people like peanuts not because of their shell. they love to eat peanuts because of what is inside the shell. it's the inside that counts the most for a peanut, is it not?

at the end of the day, we're all peanuts : ) and i'm glad that on Friday, many of the peanuts that i love came together and made the decision to look beyond the shell and into the place where it matters the most - the heart.

lets live out this verse together as a big family of peanuts, to glorify Him who made us : )

"So let's do it—full of belief, confident that we're presentable inside and out. Let's keep a firm grip on the promises that keep us going. He always keeps his word. Let's see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching."

(Hebrews 10:23-25, The Message Bible)

and even if i searched all the world

i would never find a love like Yours