Avocados and existence


Timing is important.  Wait just a little too long and it's no longer appealing.  It probably tastes okay - maybe - but it's no longer ideal looking, so you're not sure.  

It's true for avocados and personal existence.

Our culture seems to ride on appearance.  If not the physical kind, then the "what value do you bring to the moment" kind.  If you're not looking good, you fear being tossed aside as no longer appealing.

It's not just about age, it's the whole package. But youth and youthful appearances are important for many.  It's important for those who have neither, naturally.  We spend $$$ not to look like our natural ourselves.

And do you have enough skills to keep up with AI?  Do you speak the right way?  Do you know the words to use and not to use?  Do you appear to have success so someone could trust you with their needs?

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It's really amazing to see how much is bought and sold over appearances.  

Again, it's not just about physical appearance, but also inclusive of what your experience or ability looks like or how you can speak about it or present it so that it sounds or "looks" good.

It's the nature of social media and media in general - to look appealing enough to get someone's attention so they choose to buy something or hire someone or subscribe to something, etc.

_______________

In the past ten years, advertisers and companies figured this out even more when they realized that if they include "normal" or "regular" looking people in commercials, they might sell more.

Now of days, a TV ad or internet ad will have someone who is overweight or who looks really different or who represents some slice of life that 100% would not have been used in an ad tens years ago or more.

Why?  Because people want to be represented and if what you show them reflects that they are "okay" or "normal", then they'll buy into whatever you're selling.

But even those who are larger people or who have some special characteristics about them in ads are often "dolled up" to look good in comparison to the average person you'd run into at a Walmart or Dollar General.

Image is still important for many, even when you're "being inclusive".  

Some people live on a razor's edge of being great or being overripe. 

_______________

That's one of the amazing things about how God sees us.  

We're not valued for appearance or even ability. 

We are valued because we exist.

I think that's one of the hard things about religion and church these days - they can struggle with not valuing people like the world does, at times.

If you're good at delivering a talk or singing a song or, at minimum, you're a great cheerleader of those who are "up front, on stage", you are valued and cheered.

If you're not, you are not valued and cheered.  Unless you're a service project that others get cheered for serving and then you get a giant dose of patronizing attention for growing and "doing better".

But God isn't that way.  

Even the person who is poor, stinky, and stupid is valued and loved.

The person who makes choices that might enrage us or make us shake our head in disapproval are valued and loved.

The person who has it all and looks amazing and smells great - also valued and loved, but no more than anyone else.

The person who is desperate to be accepted IS accepted, loved, and valued by God.  

The person whose cup is full and has all the boxes already checked by life and are accepted, loved, and valued by all the right people in this life are also accepted, loved, and valued by God, but no more than anyone else.

_______________

Jesus, while naked and dying on the cross, looked down at those who had nailed him up and were gambling for his clothes and said, "Father, forgive them - because they don't know what they're doing."

And we don't, a lot of the times.  We can easily get our values and what's important mixed up with that which is not important.  And God knows that and forgives us for that.

Over time, as we view the incredible mercy that he has for us, we can be changed to see the world as he does and value people as he does and love people as he does.

If you're someone who feels like you're having work to stay fresh so the world accepts you, may you have enough glimpse of what God sees so you can let that go in appropriate ways and hold on to what is more important.

If you're someone who feels like an avocado that should just be thrown in the trash, may you know that God doesn't value you that way.

He doesn't look on the outside for making his assessments.  

He looks at what he did for us in Jesus - he looks at the new person he's already made us into.  

You are already perfect in his sight.  

You are already his.  

You are already loved and valued.

May you have peace in that.  

May you trust in him and may you be surrounded by people who help you remember that.  

And may you know that it won't always be "church people" who do that.

Peace and goodwill.





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