ANTIQUES By Marion Smith

There is a television show called The Antique Road Show. The t.v. show sends professional appraisers from one city to another, rent large meeting facilities and set up shop. Camera, lights and ....action! The show is ready to be filmed.

When an announcement is made in a city that the show will be filmed there, people get busy. They scurry to their attics to seek out hidden treasures, hoping that they will have that "special and very valuable" antique. They take what they have discovered to one of the professional appraisers and the stage is set!

Some of their finds are lovely to look at, and I would think they have great monitory value. Others look old and worn, and just plain strange. I wouldn't give two cents for them..!

The interesting thing is that the professional appraiser can look for certain identifying marks to let them know if a particular item is a valuable find. It may be a small engraved date, a certain style of craftsmanship, or another clue that the ordinary person would not recognize. They inspect the item, then make the announcement the owner is waiting for. I usually make my personal assessment before the professional one is given. More times than not, I am totally wrong! I think a piece is pretty or looks good to me, and it is a replica or a forgery. I think something looks old and grungy, and it is very worthy!! I am not a very good judge of antiques, that's for sure.

Christians are like antiques, you know. Some are shiny and pretty on the outside-looking well put together, and others are really old and worn; scruffy and shabby. How quick I am to judge someone by his appearance or by his works. I could be as far off base as I am about the antiques. It's a good thing God sees the heart of each person and knows the intent of each ones' actions. People can fool others, but NO ONE ever fools God. I think I had better just live my life and walk in love, not condemning or judging anyone. I believe I will just leave that up to God.. for He is the great appraiser of each one on this earth.