How Well Can You See

How Well Can You See

by LD Hollifield

How many of you have ever gone to the grocery store? That’s probably a stupid question because I imagine we all have at one time or another. So let me try that again, how many of you like cake? I imagine that most everyone, maybe not all, will answer “I do” to that question. OK, so stay with me here, this is important.

Let’s imagine that you’re at the grocery store searching the isles and you come across the section where the cake mix is. What do you see? There’s the cake mix, it’s in a box with some pictures and some words written on it. When you look at it is the box the only thing you see? Of course not, the box is only the container and really has no bearing what so ever on the stuff inside. Can we all agree on this? OK, so far so good. So we see this box of cake mix and what do we really see? We see what this box of cake mix can ultimately become, one delicious, desirable treat that we just can’t wait to sink our teeth into! YUMMM!

Now let’s think about this for a minute. What makes the final product so good? Is it the box or the color of the box? Well of course not, that’s just the container, the shell if you will, of what’s inside, the ingredients! But are the ingredients what makes the final product so good? Even though the ingredients do have a bearing on the outcome of the product what’s even more important is the quality of those ingredients! There’s an old saying “If you start with crap, you end up with crap!” How very true that is! So it’s not the box (the container) or the color of the box; it’s not the ingredients or the quantity of ingredients; but what is of the utmost importance is the quality of those ingredients! That’s the key in determining the outcome of the product; how good the cake is; how good it will taste when we finally sink our teeth into it! Do you agree?

Let’s take this same example and apply it to another scenario. When you look at another human being what do you see first? The color of their skin, of course. Is that all you see? Do you stop looking at that point and make certain assumptions? Unfortunately for far too many of us that’s exactly what happens. But, in reality, it matters not what the color of ones skin be, lets face it, each and every single one of us bleeds red when we’re cut. So, the color of ones skin, the box or shell if you will, isn’t what’s important, it’s the contents of that shell or container, the ingredients and the quality of those ingredients, their character, that really matters.

It’s not the color of ones skin which is important but it’s what’s contained in their heart; their character! In order to see their character, what’s in their heart you must first learn to see past the color of their skin! Black, yellow, white, red, it matters not. We have absolutely no control over what color we are born, none, zilch; it’s just a shell, a box! We do, on the other hand, have full control over the quality of the ingredients it contains. We, and we alone, are responsible for our character. We make the choices in our life that determines the path we walk, no one else. And that character, that quality, what’s really in our heart is what really matters; it’s the only thing that matters.

If all you see when you look at another human being is the color of their skin then you are as blind as you are ignorant and lack character. Your ingredients lack quality and your heart is filled with hate. What a pathetic waste of ones life! If you make decisions about another human being base solely on the color of ones skin then you are doing yourself, and everyone around you, a great disservice. After all, it’s not the box or the color of the box that determines what you think of the cake it contains so why would you be so blind to not see past the color of ones skin? There might actually be one heck-of-a-cake inside!

It really doesn’t matter that our current President is black or half black or half white, the color of his skin is not what’s important. If that’s the only reason you oppose him then you are truly as blind as you are lacking in character. What really matters is his character, or should I say his total lack of character! The quality of his ingredients are tainted and his heart is filled with hate. His total lack of character is what really matters, nothing else! If all you see is his skin color; if the only reason you voted for or against him is his skin color, then you are as void of character as he is!

Drop the color issue and focus on what the real problem is, his total lack of character. After all, how well can you see?