A Diamond In The Rough

I Samuel 16:7 -- "But the Lord said to Samuel, 'Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.'"

It never fails to amaze. Stepping through the glass doors sprinkled with all manner of hand written notices in an array of bright colors -- holding open the entrance for my dear friend and pro-bargain hunter - excitement bubbles up and I can barely contain it. A thrift-store genius, my wonderful friend starts to dig into a nicely arranged assortment of ladies tops. I am drawn to another corner but quickly get side-tracked as I am caught by the glimmer of white taffeta and hand-sewn pearls. 

Slowly, I make my way to the small rack of once loved wedding gowns, hanging from a metal bar that sags with the weight of them. I am moved. Not only because my oldest has wedding bells ringing in his hears and his bride-to-be needs a dress - but also because there is something about the draping fabric of a long-forgotten gown, worn in a once celebrated moment - now tossed aside and nestled deep within the folds of gently used clothing at a favorite thrift shop. 

Most brides won't shop thrift stores for their chosen wedding gown. Most brides look for the bright, shiny, and new. Working on a budding bridal/coordinator/consultant business, I have witnessed brides turn down a gorgeous garment only because the "tags" were not intact, rendering the beautiful gown "used" or "discarded". I am often caught by surprise that a person will choose an article of clothing based simply on the tags - or even - the facility in which they are shopping. 

I pull the dress from the rack. Feeling the smooth folds in my fingers I am in awe of the stich-work, the beading, the unusual colors and the eyelet lace. The veil hung from the hanger, a ring of delicate flowers with seed pearls and tulle. I stopped breathing for a moment. I couldn't help it. 

What would inspire a bride to give up her gown? Why is this amazing hand stitched dress hanging on a rack with other forgotten gowns in a thrift shop? How has another bride NOT snatched this beauty up and taken it home?

I check the tag - 90 bucks for a dress that would cost more than two thousand in a bridal shop. 

Tucking the substantial train over my arms to keep me from tripping over it, I take the gown to the counter and ask the woman there to ring me up. She smiles and her face lights up. She loves the wedding dress.

Overlooked by countless others, the cashier tells me, she has wondered who would see the beauty of it and take it home as a newly discovered treasure. Most brides, she says - don't check thrift shops for their wedding gowns. The sign above the door does not attract bridal parties with stars and big dollar signs in their eyes. 


I am pleased. I see beauty. I see potential. I wonder if the bride laughed while wearing this dress. Did she smile for the cameras? Did she shed tears when the vows were exchanged? Was the wedding outside? Or in a church? What kind of music was played? I was deeply moved. Thrilled with my diamond in the rough.

As was the cashier.

In the book of  1 Samuel, God gave this well-traveled "seer" instruction to go -- find a new king. Samuel, like everybody else,  had a pre-concieved image of what a king should look like. From his physical features to the sound of his voice, Samuel conjured up a picture of strength, of stature, of what leadership should look like when crowned and anointed. With this in the forefront of Samuel's mind, he sees a man who MUST surly be the perfect choice. One look at Jesse's son, Eliab, and Samuel imagined his job was finished. Eliab had all the right features. He was tall. He was strong. He was pleasing to look at. AND - he stood in the right spot on Jesse's totem pole of children as he was one of Jesse's oldest sons. God, however, had a different king in mind. Perhaps, Samuel needed to be reminded of what happened the last time a king was chosen for his physical features.

A king WAS chosen. At the end of a long line of tan, tall, physically fit sons oozing with manlihood and strength - there stood David. Drawing the eye line downward, he stood shorter than his brothers. He stood humble, meek, gentle, and young. Musically gifted, David would sing and write where his brothers would take up arms and head to the battle field. God saw beyond the burly muscle of David's tough and tumble older brothers. God looked for strength in another muscle .... in David's heart.

In verse 7 of 1 Samuel 16 - God reminds Samuel what is truly important in a leader. His focus. King David surly ran the gambit of human emotion during his rule and he certainly made his fair share of very human mistakes - but from the moment he was called in from tending to the sheep in the fields to the moment he took his last breath laying in his own royal bed, David's heart belonged to God. His lips worshiped, his ears listened, his mind sought God's will and his heart prayed. David was called "a man after God's own heart." A true treasure hidden at the end of a long line of bigger brothers. Tucked away in a green pasture, harp in hand and dirt under his nails  - God looked where others did not. God found His diamond in the rough. And oh, how that diamond later sparkled with a shine so bright it could only come from a heart dedicated to God.

God sees what man does not. God looks where most of us would not even deem worthy of a second glance. But it is THERE - the real gem hides. Like the forgotten gown hidden among other garments, tucked away on a small rack in the corner of a thrift shop - God does not look at things the way a man does. God knows where to find the hidden treasures - the beauty and shine of a real diamond, before it's even cut and set into jewelry. God sees the jewel and recognized a diamond hidden in the rough.