Don't judge a book by its cover

I was thinking about the saying, “don’t judge a book by its cover.”  It occurred to me how often I make judgements based on what I see.  It is true that first impressions count but often the truth of a matter is more complicated than it first appears.
There is a saying I like that says, “man looks on the outside, but God looks on the heart.”  It seems to me sometimes the roughest diamonds have the softest hearts.  I remember someone writing that no matter how tough a person appears, they generally will always answer a disconnected phone handed to them by a child saying “it’s for you.”
There was an ad I saw that was a promotion of a program that said, “there is good in bad people and bad in good people.”  I happen to think that is true.  It is one of the reasons I will get to know someone before either writing them off as an influence in my life or embracing them.  But even if I do not embrace, I will attempt to love.
The thing is, when I choose to embrace it is a “warts and all” thing for me as well as for them.  I honestly can put up with a lot when I feel someone has a good heart.  They may struggle and can even regularly blow it but to me what counts is a good honest heart.
Everyone blows it.  I am not perfect as is no one I have physically met.  It does not matter to me how often a person gets it right.  All get it wrong from time to time.  It is a part of being human.
I have said it often that the only mistake is not learning and moving on.  Just because I or anyone makes mistakes, a good heart will always learn and move on.  I have found from experience sometimes the learning takes longer than I would like but the bottom line for me is the trying, the learning and the moving on.
I say it every time and it is true for me that in all circumstances I need help.  Wanting something alone does not guarantee it happening.  Sometimes something seems like a bridge too far but always if it is supposed to be it will happen.  Maybe not according to my time frame but it will happen.