A Gratitude Series: Thanksgiving Candy Corn
by Steve Watkins
At Crosspoint, we highly value the pratice of gratitude! We hope you will enjoy the thoughts and stories that are on our hearts about gratitude, as we share them over the next week.
One of my favorite Thanksgiving memories as a young adult is gathering for dinner at my in-law’s house. One of the traditions we could always count on was Glenda’s dad, Joe, planning a good reminder for everyone to be grateful.Joe had one “go-to” tradition that he seemed to use more than any other. He would gather these little saucers that were just perfect for holding 3-4 pieces of candy corn. He would place one of these at each place setting prior to the meal. He never made a big deal about getting it together. I’m still not sure if he was trying to surprise us or not. You would think everyone would remember from the previous year, but more often than not, it was a surprise to at least a few.As everyone gathered around the table and took their seat, Joe would ask the Lord to bless our food in the gracious way that only he could. And then as everyone was about to dig in for a fabulous meal, he would remind us of the little dish in front of us. He would start by taking a piece of candy corn, saying one thing he was especially thankful for that year, and then he would eat that piece. Then the next person would do likewise. And around the table we would go, until all the little candy corn candies were eaten – and everyone gathered had shared 3-4 examples of gratitude.It was typical that there would be smiles, laughs, and tears. I am so grateful for this example of a Godly man. He did a great job of reminding his family and loved ones to be grateful throughout the year, but especially on Thanksgiving!I wish you and your family a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. Be sure to take time to show gratitude to the Lord and to one another this year!