By Brad Campbell –

Just a thought to help start your week.

As we sat at an outdoor dinner table on San Antonio’s Riverwalk not too long ago, I noticed something high up in a nearby tree.  That was not unusual, as there were many birds and squirrels all around.  But the bird I saw was very large and seemed to be watching everything below.

Out came the trusty old camera so I could zoom in and take a picture.  Only then did I realize that the big old owl that was watching us and everyone else around us was indeed plastic – a fake.  It had looked so real sitting high up in the trees.

This week, just a warning for each of us.  Take time to focus on the ones around you.  Don’t waste too much time worried about what the fake ones think or do.  It doesn’t matter.

And, also a challenge for us.  Don’t be the fake one.  Take a genuine interest in those nearby.  Offer a hand, a kind word, a smile.  Show God’s love in a genuine way.  There are entirely too many fakes in today’s world.  Folks need to see God’s people being real, being intentional, and taking an interest in the world!

Just a thought.