The observance of Thanksgiving is a tradition that we hold near to our hearts. This tradition of gathering together with friends and family for Thanksgiving began almost 400 years ago at Plymouth Colony. The pilgrims uprooted themselves and sailed for America seeking religious freedom and a new way of life for their families. Through what they endured, it is amazing that we ever came to have this holiday at all. Gov. William Bradford described the first winter as “that which was most sad and lamentable, was that in two or three months time, half of the company had died.” When the ship arrived which was to bring food for their relief they found that while it brought 35 more mouths to feed it brought not an ounce of provisions. The very fact that the tradition of Thanksgiving originated from this band of beaten brothers is amazing indeed. Wanting never to forget how God delivered them from their want, the Pilgrims and their ancestors developed a tradition to remember the hard times from which they had been delivered. Whenever the Pilgrims gathered for a dinner of “thanksgiving” they had a custom of placing 5 kernels of corn on an empty plate before the meal was served. Each member of the family would pick up a kernel and tell that for which they were thankful. This was a reminder to them how during that first winter at Plymouth food was so scarce that each individual was rationed only 5 kernels of corn each day. We should remember, even in the worst of circumstances, to place our reliance on God. Soon we'll be celebrating Thanksgiving, so let's take 5 kernels from Psl. 103 for which we too can be thankful to God. “Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits-who forgives all your sins and heals all our diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and good things” (Psl. 103:2,3). The Apostle :Paul said, “Be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (I Thess. 5:16-18). But how can we have this attitude continually? The answer lies in our attitude toward thanksgiving. To be thankful “in all circumstances” we need a proper perspective of our circumstance and of our relationship with God. We should not be ashamed or afraid to show our thanks and gratitude to God, David said, “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever” (Psl. 107:1). In Luke, the 17th chapter we read about ten men with leprosy who were healed by Jesus. Of the ten only one came back to thank him. Because of that Jesus said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you whole” (Luke 17:19). Now why did Jesus say that to him? Like the nine others, the man had already been healed of his leprosy. But when Jesus says to him, “Your faith has made you whole” He wasn’t just talking about a physical healing, he was talking about a mental and spiritual one as well. His life was completely transformed. He was made whole! Psychologists tell us that sincere gratitude, thanksgiving, is the healthiest of all human emotions. A thankful heart will endear others to us, and us to others as well. Thanksgiving is not only good for the giver but also good for the receiver. But if we are not grateful, if we don't express our thanksgiving, then it can have the opposite effect. In Romans 1:21 “For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.” Remember the novel

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