Another beautiful day in the neighborhood! The skies are blue—not a cloud in the sky—as my mother would say. The trees and the bushes are green with the fresh color you only see in the spring.

This bush was fully in bloom with little white flowers.

The bigger spirals are made up of very small white flowers that look like a star.

The stars are very small and would hardly be noticed by themselves, but together with all of the others they attract attention from passers-by.

Each one of us in our own way is a star. God created each of us in His image and likeness (Gen. 1:27 NKJV). We show forth in our lives those qualities given to us, some days better than others. But sometimes He wants us to join with other people to bring out a beauty that we may not be able to accomplish by ourselves. Working with others can also attract the attention of those who are seeking community and fellowship (to get them out of their loneliness).

When you look at the first picture above, do your eyes see the little yellow flower at the bottom left? Can you see it in this closeup picture? Does it take away from the beauty of the white flowers? Some would say yes, some no. Even though the yellow flower is pretty, it is not the star of the show like the white flowers are.

Some people would like to be the star, even when they are in a group setting. This can be a distraction in some cases. In a choir or group, one voice can change whether we perceive the singing as good or bad. One person who is dressed differently from the rest, or who acts out during a performance, can affect the perception even if the sound is pleasing.

There are times when we can and should be the star by using the gifts given to us by the Holy Spirit. Then the right kind of attention will come to us. At other times we will shine best as part of a group working together for a common goal. Whichever the situation, our goal or desire should always be to bring glory to God.

P.S. I later realized that the single star flower did not come from the same bush. The single bloom on the bush has four petals instead of five. That could represent the cross instead of a star. But that is a story for another day!