Gratitude Pumpkin
That which is at the end of the road influences everything that takes place along the road. The end shapes the means. A joyful end requires a joyful means.
-Eugene Peterson, A Long Obedience in the Same Direction
Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
-St. Paul in a letter to the church in Thessalonica
When I'm honest with myself I can acknowledge that grumbling comes easy to me. It is easy to see where I, or others, have fallen short. It is easy to point out the one thing that's missing. It is easy to notice what's lacking. There is a necessary time and place for healthy critique. Without it, there would be no improvement. Focusing on what's missing, though, is not meant to be the modus operandi of Jesus' followers.
Followers of Jesus are called to be thankful people. And to be thankful people, we need to practice gratitude. Eugene Peterson observes that "Joy begets joy." The same is true of gratitude. The best way to become thankful is to focus on giving thanks.
Last year Angie, joined later by Brent, initiated the delivery of Gratitude Pumpkins to our Covenant Kids and Covenant Youth. "What is a Gratitude Pumpkin?" you ask. It's a regular pumpkin used, along with a marker, to help us practice thanksgiving during the month of October. Through the month of October, as and individual or a family recognized something they were thankful for it got written on the pumpkin. Over the course of the month, the pumpkin was filled with expressions of gratitude. In our own house, we found ourselves actually feeling more thankful and practicing gratitude more actively with the constant visual reminder in front of us.
This year, we would like to invite you to join us in this wonderful visual practice of gratitude. All you need to get is a pumpkin and some kind of marker. From there, follow these instructions that were included on the pumpkins we delivered to our Covenant Kids and Covenant Youth:
- As a family, on your own, or with neighbours take a marker and write down all the things that you are thankful for BIG or SMALL!
- Put it somewhere to be seen, in your living room or on your porch!
- Once you are done, we would LOVE to see what you did. Take a picture of it.
- Email your picture to brent@covenantchurch.ca OR post it on Instagram with the #covenantpumpkin2021
We really would love to have you join us in this and believe it will be a blessing to you as you do!
If, for any reason, you aren't able to get out to get your own pumpkin and/or marker, email me at jon@covenantchurch.ca and let me know what you'd like dropped off at your home (a pumpkin, a marker, or both). We will work to get it to you as soon as we're able to!
I close with words written by St. Paul many years ago, that are true for me today:
Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God.