One day, my husband was volunteering with the children’s service, so I did not get to see him before he left the church. When he arrived home, little did I know he would return with hot-pink diamond stickers adorning his ears. Apparently, while helping with the kids’ service, Ella, our daughter, had taken it upon herself to turn her dad into a canvas for an art project they were doing.
He later went to his job, forgetting he still had them on, proudly displaying those sparkly stickers to everyone there. When I realized what had happened, I burst into uncontrollable laughter as I watched him navigate the hilarity of explaining it. He said, “I wish someone had said something so I could have explained myself.”
In that moment, I recalled a family trip to a cottage, where we stopped to eat and encountered an unfriendly cashier. I remember thinking how incredibly rude she was, but my brother-in-law chose a different path. He broke the ice and asked her how she was doing. In that simple act of kindness, her hardened exterior began to crack. She opened up about the death of her husband just three days before, revealing the profound grief she was carrying.
We asked if we could pray with her before we left, and we formed a circle holding hands and prayed for God to carry her. She cried as she thanked us for taking the time to touch her life. These two experiences remind me of the timeless truth about which God reminded Samuel (1 Samuel 16:7).
In a world so quick to judge based on appearances, we must remember that every person we encounter is fighting their own battle, or there might be another truth behind the appearances.
The next time you meet someone and don’t quite understand the situation or their demeanor, ask them how they are doing. Frame your conversation so they might be more open to you. Choose to see beyond the surface, extending kindness and love in every interaction, for it is through these acts that we reflect the heart of God. You never know what you might find out if you take an extra five minutes of your time. You could change their life forever, or you could even find out why they are wearing hot-pink stick-on diamond earrings.
Candice Pirali-Figurova is a Caribbean-born woman residing in Canada. She is a proud Christian woman who lives each day with deep gratitude for the life God has given her. She has the incredible honor of being a wife to the most amazing man. Together, they are raising five beautiful children who bring joy, purpose, and laughter into their home. Her family is her greatest earthly blessing, and she cherishes every moment she gets to love and serve them.