Five Kernels of Thanks

1 Thessalonians 5:18 Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

Why am I thinking about Thanksgiving in the Spring? I'm not really sure but I do know that for most of us thanksgiving is when we get out the turkey, prepare a huge meal, stuff our faces, sit back and watch a football game and fall asleep. Is there something missing here?

Paul urges us to be thankful in every situation and circumstance we encounter. This isn't restricted to just one day in the Fall but EVERY day and EVERY circumstance. Yes, even the tough situations? Why? Because we can truly see God at work in all things, even if we have to wait to realize what He is doing through our trials.

Have you ever read the accounts of the first Thanksgiving?

The pilgrims came to America in 1620. They spent 66 days in the hold of a ship called The Mayflower, arriving on Nov. 21. One month later, on Dec. 26, all 102 passengers set foot on land and began to establish the colony of Plymouth. Through the course of the winter 46 died, nearly half their original number.

One day in mid-March a pair of Indians appeared, one named Samoset, he had learned to speak English from the sea captains that sailed up and down the coast, and was friendly. The other named Squanto. Squanto had been captured and taken to England and lived there for 15 years. He had returned to America six months earlier only to find that his tribe had been massacred. When he learned that this colony of English were struggling to survive, he adopted them as his own, teaching them how to plant, fish, hunt, and trade with their Indian neighbors.

The following is adapted from The Light and the Glory, by Peter Marshall, and David Manuel.

“That summer of 1621 was beautiful. Much work went into the building of new dwellings, and ten men were sent north up the coast in the sailing ship to conduct trade with the Indians. Squanto once again acted as their guide and interpreter. It was a successful trip, and that fall's harvest provided more than enough corn to see us through our second winter.

We pilgrims were brimming over with gratitude, not only to Squanto and the Indians who had been so friendly, but to our God. In Him we had trusted, and He had honored our obedience beyond our dreams. So, Governor Bradford declared a day of public Thanksgiving, to be held in October.

Massasoit the chief was invited, and unexpectedly arrived a day early-with NINETY Indians! Counting their numbers, we had to pray hard to keep from giving in to despair. To feed such a crowd would cut deeply into the food supply that was supposed to get us through the winter.
But we had learned one thing through our travails, it was to trust God implicitly. As it turned out, the Indians were not arriving empty-handed. Massasoit had commanded his braves to hunt for the occasion, and they arrived with no less than five dressed deer, and more than a dozen fat wild turkeys! And they helped with the preparations, teaching the women how to make hoecakes and a tasty pudding out of cornmeal and maple syrup. Finally, the Indians showed us a special delicacy: how to roast corn kernels in an earthen pot until they popped, fluffy and white - POPCORN!

We in turn provided many vegetables from their household gardens: carrots, onions, turnips, parsnips, cucumbers, radishes, beets, and cabbages. Also, using some of the precious flour, we took summer fruits which the Indians had dried and introduced them to the likes of blueberry, apple, and cherry pie. That Thanksgiving Day was extended for three days.

One month later, in November, another ship from home dropped anchor in the harbor leaving off a cargo at Plymouth: thirty-five more colonists. In the air of celebration that followed, no one stopped to think that these newcomers had brought not one bit of equipment with them-no food, no clothing, no tools, no bedding.

In the cold light of the following morning, a sobering appraisal by Bradford, Brewster, and Winslow was taken, and a grim decision was reached: that we would all have to go on half-rations through the winter, to ensure enough food to see us into the summer season, when fish and game would be plentiful.

That winter we entered into a time of starving, much like the starving that took place at Jamestown that killed 8 out of 10 of our people. With all the extra people to feed and shelter we were ultimately reduced to a daily ration of Five Kernels of corn a piece.

In contrast to what happened at Jamestown, where they were driven to despair, the people of Plymouth turned to Christ, and not one of us died of starvation. When spring finally arrived (1623), we were well aware that we needed at least twice as much corn as our first harvest. The first planting would be for common use while the second planting would be for private use.
After the first planting, a dry spell set in that turned into a 12 week drought. The crops withered - along with our hopes.

In the words of Edward Winslow:

"These and the like considerations moved not only every goodman privately to enter into examination with his own estate between God and his conscience, and so to humiliation before Him, but also to humble ourselves together before the Lord by fasting and prayer.
To that end, a day was appointed by public authority, and set apart from all other employments.
But, O the mercy of our God, who was as ready to hear, as we were to ask! For though in the morning, when we assembled together, the heavens were as clear and the drought as like to continue as it ever was, yet (our exercise continuing some eight or nine hours) before our departure, the weather was overcast, the clouds gathered on all sides.

On the next morning distilled such soft, sweet, and moderate showers of rain, continuing some fourteen days [!] and mixed with such seasonable weather, as it was hard to say whether our withered corn or drooping affections were most quickened or revived, such was the bounty and goodness of our God!"

The yield that year was so abundant that the Pilgrims ended up with a surplus of corn, which they were able to use in trading that winter with northern Indians, who had not had a good growing season.

That fall a second Day of Thanksgiving was planned, and the Indians again were the guests of honor, and this time they bought 120 braves! Fortunately they again brought venison and turkey, as well. The occasion was described by one of the Adventurers, Emmanuel Altham, in a letter to his brother:

"After our arrival in New England, we found all our plantation in good health, and neither man, woman or child sick...... the fishing that is in this country, indeed it is beyond belief ... in one hour we got 100 cod .... We had about twelve tasty venisons, besides others, pieces of roasted venison and other such good cheer in such quantities that I wish you some of our share. For here we have the best grapes that ever you saw, and the biggest, and divers sorts of plums and nuts ... six goats, about fifty hogs and pigs, also divers hens ... A better country was never seen nor heard of, for here are a multitude of God's blessing."

What Altham neglected to mention was the first course that was served: on an empty plate in front of each person were five kernels of corn ... lest anyone should forget.

Sitting here in the middle of March thinking about Thanksgiving is probably a bit crazy but, as a Christian, I think I need to be a little bit more thankful than I am.

Five kernels of corn….. So, lest I forget, I wanted to let you know that I am thankful for each one of you.

Blessings,