Five Kernels of Corn

This past Sunday at church the subject of the message was, of course, Thanksgiving. Our pastor made some good points that made me leave feeling humbled. He reminded us that as a nation, where we have so much, we should be ever so grateful, but often the opposite is true. Instead of waking up in the morning and recognizing all the things that are good in our lives (a warm bed, a roof over our heads, food for breakfast and every other meal, etc.) we tend to focus on the things we are lacking. We perceive these things as needs, but often they aren't. Do we really need an iPod? Um, no. Our Forefathers lived without them and probably would have said an "i" what?! I think we can probably live without them too and a whole lot more.

The pastor then went on to explain a bit about the Pilgrims and reminded us that Thanksgiving came about as a way to stop and give thanks to God for everything. They had a harsh life, battling hunger and the cold elements in New England. Have we ever truly had to deal with that? Most of us, myself included, can honestly say no. I have no idea what it's like to be starving, but that's what they dealt with.

Once Thanksgiving was established, the Pilgrims would start off their meal with five kernels of corn on their plate. These five golden kernels represented all they had to eat during a 24 hours time frame during tough times. I can't even imagine that sustaining me for one meal let alone an entire day. Can you? Each Pilgrim would stand up in front of their family and would take each kernel of corn and say what they were thankful for.

Let me challenge you and your family to do the same thing tomorrow. If you aren't having corn, pick something else - nuts maybe. Or how about string beans? I don't think it really matters, it's the act of being thankful and sharing with others that matters. Spend some time during your dinner and let that be the topic of conversation instead of Black Friday sales. Do we really need that stuff anyway?

If you'd like to hear more of this message, please listen to my pastor at: Sermons Click on "Dates" and then "Be Thankful." Enjoy!

Wishing you "Blessings from Above,"

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