The Beauty of Ugly Tomatoes

I’ll bet you wouldn’t choose this tomato in a grocery store.

When I go to the grocery store and look for produce, I look for the shiniest apples that are perfectly formed. I do the same with tomatoes and all other produce that I purchase. Now I know that they have been sprayed and waxed to sell, but to reach for the perfect is my first instinct.

The only problem is, perfection on the outside is often not a great indicator of what is on the inside. My Uncle Eddie is a connoisseur of tomatoes. All my life I have heard him telling stories of stopping at vegetable stands all over Florida and asking if the tomatoes were “hot-house.” He rarely believed them when they said no, and always made the vendor cut one and let him taste it. He always said that tasting it was the only way to really tell. Tasting it was the only way to get to the truth.

I never really understood why, until I grew my own. Growers can use greenhouses to grow tomatoes year round. They can look perfect. You can’t tell them from the ones you grow in your own backyard, but the catch is, they have very little flavor. They look great, but taste bad. Isn’t taste the reason that you buy any produce?

My fifteen-year-old daughter was recently talking about a girl in her school that everyone thinks is pretty. I told her that I agreed; the girl was definitely pretty. But, then she called me out. “She talks about everyone behind their backs; she says one thing and does another and she cusses all of the time. I just can’t see past that. To me, the way she acts, makes her unattractive.”

Mommy got schooled!

I have always said that God talks to me through my own children as well as all children I come in contact with. Sometimes my teenagers have wisdom to share. I’m so glad she picked up on, that what is on the inside counts. I have tried to teach that little truth for years and here she was teaching me.

It’s easy to judge people and fruit by the outside package. Movies, magazines and television are more than happy to encourage us to do that. But, the little tomato from my garden reminds me that it is important to look deeper. I suppose people are not much different than hot-house tomatoes. It’s great that they are gorgeous and perfect on the outside, but when it comes to friends, we really want what’s on the inside.

Things like integrity, honesty, loyalty and kindness matter so much more than perfect hair and teeth or the fact that they are always dressed like they stepped out of a magazine.

The Bible tells us that we are all made in God’s image. God looks at the heart of a person, not the outside. Maybe we should really make the same effort. Those people who show some wear and tear on the outside may have chosen to focus on growing what’s inside them. Those people who wear dated clothes may be giving their money to worthier causes than fashion. Perhaps those people who live in run down houses are focusing their energies elsewhere or maybe they are focusing on simply surviving.

We all have a story to tell. We all have a piece to contribute to God’s giant puzzle. My little tomato is a great reminder to seek out people that I might not normally seek. They may be full of experiences and wisdom to share that I would have missed had I just gone by what I see on the outside.

I don’t need hot-house people in my life. I need the genuine. Don’t we all?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂