Judge not unrighteously, that ye be not judged

I've rethought my August 31 judgment of this sunflower. I thought it was mostly show with little substance. But I erred. I was impatient. I assumed that, like the parent/grandparent sunflower, this sunflower would have only one flower. This sunflower has at least 11 flowers. Its beauty is equal to if not surpassing the one large sunflower. I compare the large sunflower to someone like Dr. Jonas Salk, the inventor of the polio vaccine. What Dr. Salk did was wonderful, but we only need one Dr. Salk. Most of us are like this sunflower--just as one of our acts cannot compare to Dr. Salk's polio vaccine, our accumulated daily deeds of kindness and selflessness can equal the result of Dr. Salk's important work and are just as important to those with whom we associate.

The Lord loves variety--in the animal kingdom, in the plant kingdom, in geography, in weather, and in people. He has blessed each of us with gifts to bless the lives of others--gifts that no one else has and no one else can bestow.

Hugh Nibley, in is book "Temple and Cosmos" (page 292), wrote: "The individuality of each star contributes to the whole of the night sky. Each has its particular part to play, and because of its uniqueness, makes a contribution of maximum value--which it couldn't do if it were just like every other star. Be a star! Don't be like anybody else. Be different. Then you can make a contribution. Otherwise, you just echo something; you're just a reflection."

So don't be jealous of others. Don't undervalue yourself. Rejoice in who you are--whether you are the large one-flower sunflower or the sunflower with a dozen smaller flowers.