The moment I saw the cow standing in our front yard, I knew rural living wasn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

The fact that this four-legged hamburger had spent the night on our lawn certainly gave me a greater appreciation for the neighbor’s dog. And to think, I used to complain about the dog when we lived in town. I should have counted my blessings.

Like so many people who long for the country, we’ve read our share of glossy country magazines. We’ve lingered over idyllic scenes. The family cat serenely asleep on the porch swing, flowering gardens brimming with lush blossoms and farm animals dotting a verdant landscape.

However, now that we’re part of the picture, let me get the truth out. There’s been some false advertising. That feline on the wicker is not asleep. He’s quietly plotting his nightly attack on the window screens and memorizing how to scream your name. And there’s not a word in those magazine articles about dogs that don’t know the meaning of a quiet moment, foxtails that migrate from your socks to your underwear, or the dust. Lots of it.

This misrepresentation of country living has made me question some things. Such as, why did we move more than 10 minutes from the mall?

But, in more contemplative moments, when the cows are tucked behind fences and the dusting is done again, I can’t help but wonder how much in life isn’t as it first appears. There are so many things that appear inviting at first, but they can have long-lasting and unforeseen consequences.

For instance, the gossip that seems so harmless, but it changes a perspective forever. The joke we tell at work, but not at church. And now, the listeners won’t ever go there. Or the ugliness toward others we’ve lashed out at on a bad hair day, when all week we’ve been quoting Bible verses about unconditional love.

At the time we’re doing these things, they seem so innocuous. But, as God’s children, it’s an image we’re projecting that probably makes our Heavenly Father cringe. He wants us to reflect him. To take the road less traveled. To stand apart and portray truth. When we don’t, I’m sure God doesn’t appreciate our false advertising.

But, in the big picture, I imagine it’s nothing new to God, the way his children disregard his commandments. In fact, it’s been happening since the beginning of time.

If you recall, Adam and Eve discovered the shiny apple wasn’t really what it first appeared to be. And you know what happened to them. They had to move to the country.