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Five Kernels of Corn



      Last November, the creative team was invited to our friend Debbie’s for a get-together dinner.  When we entered, each of us was presented with five kernels of corn.  Later, during ministry time, Debbie explained that during the time of the Jamestown colony settling in America, food was so scarce at one point, that the individuals had been rationed to five kernels of corn a day. As a reminder to be thankful, Debbie had us tell, one by one, the five things we were most thankful for.

     I have decided that each year, I will stop and think of the five things I’m thankful for and take time to express that thanks to God, which generously gives us all good thing.

  1. Salvation. My salvation is the first thing I’m thankful for. That above all, is and always will be considered my most profound blessing.  How can I not be grateful to Jesus for giving His life so that I might live?  The words “thank you” seems so inadequate; after all, how many times can I repeat those words in order to balance the scale against just one drop of His precious blood shed at Calvary for me.  I believe in that old cliché, “actions speak louder than words.”  Therefore, I try to show my appreciation by living as close to His Word as possible; finding out what makes God happy, and then doing it.
  2. God’s Word.  It is the stabilizing factor in my life.  It is the firm foundation on which I stand.  It is the basis of my beliefs which form my character and make me the person I am.  It is my conscience and my disciplinarian.  It is my comfort in times of sorrow, my strength in times of need.  It gives me clear direction for my life and is my road map to heaven.  It is constant, unwavering, always truthful, and completely believable.  It nourishes me, satisfies me, and refreshes me.  It has taught me to love, how to have joy in the midst of adversity, and how to keep hope alive.  It has caused me to see the face of God, to feel His love, and to know His faithfulness.  It is my constant companion.
  3. My Husband. When I first married, I had no idea what a blessing he would prove to be over the years. He is a man of God, and his love for me reflects God’s Word.  I sense his love in everything he does for me.  He gives of himself to me daily in more ways thank I can count.  He doesn’t consider his giving a sacrifice, but a joy in having the privilege to bless me.  He has fed me love, and it has nourished me these fifty-nine years.  He is a blessing I thank God for daily.
  4. Two ladies whom I have never met.  I always dreamed of having a family of my own.  When I was told I could not conceive, a hole opened up in my heart that swallowed that dream and left me hopeless.  That hole was filled through the miracle of adoption, first a girl, then a boy.  I am forever grateful for these two women, whose sacrificial love and agonizing pain of giving me such a big portion of their heart, which in turn, healed my broken heart.  Because of them, my husband and I share the love of these two children, three grandchildren, and six great- grandchildren.  I am forever grateful for the gift of a family.
  5. Freedom.  To live in a country where freedom reigns is a true blessing.  We have freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and freedom to come and go where we please.  It is a commodity that is priceless.  It has been paid for with blood, sweat, tears and lives.  It is something I esteem highly, and I realize what a privilege it is to live free.  I never take it for granted and pray that God will continue to bless us with freedom.  I will always be grateful for this precious gift.

 

     God has blessed me with so much, it would take more than a book to list them all.  We serve a God who loves to give to us as a father desires to give to his children.  He is our heavenly Father who sees our needs and the desires of our hearts, and wants to meet those needs and desires.  Eph. 3: 20 TLW reads:  “Now glory be to God who by his mighty power at work within us is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of – infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes.”  

What an awesome God we serve!  Thank You Lord, for being just who the Word tell us You are, Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace, that and so much more.

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”  James 1:17 (KJV)

     I hope you have a chance to stop and be thankful for the things in your life. Consider using five kernels this year to help you and your family remember to be thankful.

Copyright © 2008-2015 Sylvia Hensel


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