The Fruit Beneath the Skin
How Tenderness Can Look Different
Different Skins, Same Nourishment
Tenderness isn’t uniform—it’s relational.
Have you ever noticed how different fruits protect what nourishes us?
Some bruise at the slightest touch—raspberries, peaches, figs.
Others can fall, roll, and barely show a mark—coconuts, pomegranates, avocados.
Both nourish.
Both carry life.
But they guard what’s inside very differently.
And so do people.
We often assume tenderness must look a certain way to be real.
Soft voices.
Quick tears.
Visible emotion.
But love wears many forms,
and not all of them are soft on the outside.
How Love Learns to Carry Life
Some hearts are like peaches—open, responsive, easily moved.
Their compassion shows quickly.
They cry freely, speak openly, and feel deeply.
Their tenderness lives near the surface.
Others are more like coconuts—steady, contained, unshaken by pressure.
They don’t unravel in hard moments.
But break through the shell and you’ll find a living center—
mercy, loyalty, empathy, love—held quietly and faithfully.
They may not weep with you,
but they will sit with you.
They may not say much,
but they will stay.
One is not more loving.
One is not more spiritual.
They are simply different ways love has learned to carry life.
God Looks Beneath the Skin
“The Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)
God is never confused by appearances.
He sees beneath personality, coping styles, and presentation.
He looks for the fruit.
What matters is not how emotion shows up,
but what lives at the center.
Compassion.
Mercy.
Gentleness.
Agapē.
The fruit of the Spirit does not always appear the same,
but it always reflects the same life—
Christ within.
Jesus: Tender and Unshakeable
Jesus revealed this holy contrast perfectly.
He wept openly at Lazarus’ tomb.
Tears without apology.
And He stood steady before Pilate—
unmoved, unprovoked, unafraid.
His tenderness was never weakness.
It was love,
perfectly shaped for the moment.
What Truly Nourishes
The fruit matters more than the skin.
So whether your heart is more peach or coconut,
don’t judge yourself—or others—by the exterior.
Let the Spirit shape what’s within.
When love is revealed, it will always nourish.
Because love—however it’s carried—
is always the life of Christ shared.
Reflection
Do you tend to express tenderness openly or quietly?
Have you ever been misunderstood because of how your compassion looks?
How might God be inviting you to honor the hidden fruit in others today?
Prayer
Abba Father, thank You that You see the life within me, not just the exterior. Teach me to trust the fruit You are growing in my heart and to honor the tenderness You are shaping in others. Let the life of Christ within me nourish those around me, however Your love chooses to appear. Amen.