Cactus: Any of a large group of plants, mostly native to arid regions of the New World. They are characterized by thick, fleshy often prickly stems that function as leaves and in some species have showy flowers and edible fruit.

I love flowers. I should say I love viewing flowers, taking photos of flowers. I do not have any interest in growing flowers or doing all of that work, just looking at them. I have hundreds of pictures of flowers. As I browse through my pictures, once in awhile a picture will make me spontaneously say, "Oooo!" This was one of them. Some of you may not have the same reaction or even be the slightest interested in a picture of the cactus flower. Isn't that awesome? So many interests that we all have in life? Isn't it awesome that God created so many different plants to have showy flowers?

Today in Sunday School we were discussing the planet Earth and how we are just a small speck on this Earth and our Earth is just a small speck in the Galaxy. The Milky Way Galaxy is a small speck in the Universe.... and on and on! God made the prickly pear cactus have a showy flower. God took the time to make each of us unique and special. He gave each of us a "showy flower" for all the world to see and admire. For some people, it's their smile. For others, it's their eyes. For others, it's their hair or fingers. Just like there are thousands of varieties of flowers, there thousands of ways that God gave us to be showy flowers.

Don't we often think of ourselves in terms of the stems (of the flowers)? When I was typing the cactus description, "characterized by thick, fleshy often prickly stems," I thought, "That's me!" You can't get much more thick, fleshy AND prickly than me! True or not, God still gives me a showy flower to let the world see beyond my stem. There's a motto out in there, "God doesn't make junk." Do we feel that? Do we believe it? Or do we degrade ourselves? Do we degrade the product that God has made? We are God's most special product, made in His image. We are all the showy flowers that God puts on the "stems" of the world. Show off your "flowers."