By Brad Campbell –

Just a thought to help start your week.

You know from my previous “thoughts” from time to time that as I travel, I tend to photograph unusual flowers, plants, rocks, trees, etc.  You’ll see one of those trees in this picture.  You may not think it’s that unusual.  It looks like any normal tree might.  But the reason I took this picture was because of what I had just read and found out about the tree and a few others very similar nearby.

This is an olive tree.  That’s unusual in itself to me, since most of the trees that grow where we live are pine or oak.  This olive tree was one of several planted in what is now a downtown area of historic Scottsdale, Arizona.  They were planted to stand as a break from the desert winds before most of those buildings were there.  And these olive trees are now well over 125 years old, having all been planted in 1896.  

They are unusual.  They stand out.  And they were planted with a purpose.  These things ought to describe us as Christians.

We certainly were planted with a purpose.  God intends for us to love, serve, and worship Him, and He intends for us to be a bright light in a dark world.  As such, we are automatically unusual, and we should stand out from all the rest.  

I don’t know that I want a sign posted near me to say how old I am and why I was put here.  On the other hand, by living as a Child of the Father, I am basically wearing a sign just like that.  I call myself by His name, and I represent Him wherever I go — even in odd downtown desert places where I might not be expected to survive.

Planted with a purpose.  Growing with His help.  Representing Him to all who pass by.  Those are wonderful things on which to focus in this brand new year.

Just a thought.