The Worn Leather Bag

It seemed like a lot of money at the time. We were looking for a briefcase for Ingrid to use when she was doing Home Health Nursing back in the mid-90s. It needed enough pockets to organize all her files and enough space to carry all of her work. We found one that seemed like it would do the job at an office supply store. It was made of genuine leather and so was a bit pricey.

When Ingrid quit Home Health Nursing, the briefcase was more-or-less forgotten. Then, when we moved to Thailand, we decided to bring it along. The bag has endured a lot of use here in Thailand. I have frequently loaded it down with binders and supplies, along with a computer with its power cords and accessories. I eventually had to replace the shoulder strap; the one that came with it really wasn't designed for all the weight I carried around.

When we left for our three-month home assignment in January of last year, I emptied most of the pockets of the briefcase and put it in the bottom of our wardrobe. Our time away stretched into a year because of COVID-19. When we came back to Thailand, I pulled out the briefcase and saw that it had suffered a bit. There was a thin coat of mildew on one side and the black had turned to a washed-out gray. It didn't look like something I would want to carry around. I was a bit sad about that, because I had so many memories stored away in the bag. I washed the bag thoroughly, but it didn't look the same.

This past week, we found some liquid black shoe polish at Tesco in Nong Khai. That same day, while continuing our post-home assignment house cleaning , we found an unopened jar of shoe wax (used for waterproofing shoes). With a little bit of effort, I ended up with this.

The Old Leather Briefcase

Aside from some stretch marks, the bag looks like new. You see, the poor appearance was purely an external issue. The bag was of good quality and as such I was able to restore it so that it looks almost new like the strong, durable bag that it is. I could have gone out an bought a shiny, pretty, new bag that I would not have had to patiently work with to make it look nice. But chances are that it would not be as good and long-lasting as this one.

This reminds me of when the prophet Samuel went looking for a replacement for King Saul. God sent Samuel to the family of a man named Jesse. Samuel was impressed with the outward appearance of Jesse's older sons. They had seen their share of battles and as such were muscular and handsome. They had a kingly look about them. But God was not impressed with any of them. We read in 1 Samuel 16:7 (ESV)

But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.”

God had determined that Jesse's youngest son would make a better king. David lacked the regal appearance of his oldest brothers. A shepherd boy with a sling and stone doesn't sell as well as a seasoned soldier with sword and shield. But God wasn't interested in a poster boy. As long as the quality was good on the inside, it wouldn't take much polishing for God to make David a king who not only looked the part, but also acted it out.

In our ministry in Thailand, we can sometimes get distracted by outward appearances. Sometimes we think someone may be a good leader because they are well educated and are a good speaker. But down the road we may have issues with their leadership because their heart wasn't in the right place. They might be more interested in money or position than in humbly serving like Jesus did.

There may be others who appear a bit rough and unpolished on the outside when we first meet them. But when God gets hold of them they turn out to be amazing leaders, because their heart is in the right place. Time and money invested in training such a person will yield a good return. I know I would much rather work with this kind of person.

Shiny plastic and vinyl or rough, resilient leather—which would you choose?