Five kernels of corn and a year of blessings

Five kernels of corn. After a delicious lunch, the speaker at our senior adult luncheon placed five kernels of corn at each place and reminded us of the hardships of those pilgrims in 1621. That cold winter, facing starvation and a depleted food supply, their daily allotment was five kernels of corn.

Our speaker held up the corn, and reminded us that, even in hard economic times, we must count our blessings, and remember to give thanks to God, the source of all provision.

I reflected on this year of blessings. I wrote earlier about our four graduations. We now have one daughter in pediatric residency, one out and making a living, one continuing in grad school, and a son finishing up his first semester as a freshman.

I wrote about the surprise trip to Israel. I spent two weeks this summer touring Israel with my brother, a New Testament professor in Dallas. I’m thankful for a church family who was generous and kind enough to want to do something like that for their pastor. I’m thankful for what I learned and saw.

In addition, we just had our first wedding. My middle daughter Rachel travelled to Australia four years ago for a study abroad trip. She gained academic credit, and also met her future husband.

After dating for three-and-a-half years, they got engaged in April and married Nov. 15. I gave my daughter away, then officiated the rest of the service. She was a beautiful bride, and he’s a really fine fellow. They make a sharp couple.

Here are some other “kernels” for which I give thanks:

• For a devoted, talented, pretty wife who has loved me and put up with me for over 28 years;

• That Jonathan has to endure pre-calculus and not me;

• For a loving mom who’s still in good health;

• For the sacrifices my brothers and their families made to make it to the wedding;

• For anything chocolate;

• For strong legs and a strong heart that allow me to run;

• That income is running ahead of expenses at church;

• For a car that runs, though it desperately needs a paint job;

• For that old, arthritic black lab that still wags her tail when she sees me turn into the driveway;

• For Christmas carols;

• For the good news of Christmas;

• For a 9-2 record to date, though both Bulldog loses were ugly;

• For Coke Zero; I still get the flavor and the fizz, without the sugar and the calories;

• For my wife’s potato yeast rolls that melt in your mouth;

• For my mom’s peanut butter cake;

• For a dedicated, dependable church staff that’s fun to work with and that takes their work seriously;

• For the progress our church has made this year;

• For our sweet senior adults;

• For friends with whom, though miles apart and little contact, you can pick right up where you left off;

• For the readership of this column, and for the paper that allows a journalism major who enjoys the ministry of writing to pen it;

• For a host of other blessings that, to list, would exceed my word limit.

Here’s to a great Thanksgiving for you and yours. Before you carve the turkey, take a minute to reflect on your five kernels of corn.