My granddaughters love fruit, and because I know it's good for them, I love to give it to them. Last week there was a bowl of oranges on their table, and they asked for one to eat. We looked at several to find the biggest, juiciest one to try. But when I cut into it, it was all brown and rotting from within. "That's strange." said the oldest one (not yet 6). It had looked like the best one in the bowl. So I picked up another one, which happened to have a brown ugly place on the skin. "Not that one, Grandma," she said, "I can tell that that one is no good."

"Well, let's just try it," I replied with grandmotherly wisdom. Sure enough, when I cut into it, it was ripe and juicy, just perfect for a healthy treat. I tried to explain to Isabelle that sometimes, things just aren't what they appear to be. She listened, but when she reached for another piece of fruit, she choose the best apple in the bowl.

I thought about how often in her life, and in all of ours, we are eager to grab hold of what looks like the best to us. That just seems to be our nature. But often what looks best at first turns out not to be. Jesus talked about a cup that looked fine on the outside, but was dirty inside. When we belong to him we have to trust that he will lead us in the way that is best for us. Sometimes we desire a relationship, a job, or a house that is not what he sees as best for us. Then sometimes we later look back and understand why things happened as they did. And we have that "Ah-ha" moment when we realize that God gave us what was best for us because of his great love for us.