A successful beauty product company asked the people in a large city to send pictures along with brief letters about the most beautiful women they knew. Within a few weeks thousands of letters were delivered to the company. One letter in particular caught the attention of the employees. Soon, it was handed over to the company president.

The letter was written by a young boy who lived in a run-down neighborhood. His letter read: "A beautiful woman lives down the street from me. I visit her every day. She makes me feel like the most important kid in the world. We play checkers and she listens to my problems. She understands me and when I leave she always tells me that she's proud of me." The boy included a picture of her and he said, "I hope I have a wife as pretty as her."

The company president was intrigued by the letter and asked to see the picture. His secretary handed him a photo of a smiling, toothless woman, well-advanced in years, sitting in a wheelchair. Her sparse gray hair was pulled back in a bun and she had deep wrinkles. "We can't use this woman," explained the company president. "She would show the world that our products aren't necessary to be beautiful." (From More Stories for the Heart, by Alice Gray)

When we have preconceived descriptions of other people we limit their potential. We put boundaries on their ability to relate to us. We stereotype them which is a way of making ourselves superior or better. Instead of judging Nathaniel, Jesus affirmed his faith. He also recognized the fact that he was still searching. Some scholars suggest that his sitting under the fig tree can be interpreted to mean Nathaniel was seeking and searching, striving to be faithful. Nathaniel had faith, but more importantly he had great potential.