A Time to Remember

I’ve been going through a study on the Book of Esther with my class at church. The author of the study pointed out in one of the chapters that plans for the Ancient Persians to annihilate the Jews occurred just as Passover was beginning. So, as the stress of impending doom set in, the Jewish people entered a time of remembering how God rescued them from slavery in Egypt many years before. A time to be thankful and remember the hope that is found in God.

The church I attend publishes a weekly electronic newsletter. This week the main article included a discussion on the tradition of placing 5 grains of corn at each plate for the Thanksgiving meal. Prior to reading this, I was not aware of the tradition. I knew that food was scarce and that the tradition of Thanksgiving began as a harvest festival to thank God for bringing them through that most difficult season. What I did not know was that prior to harvest, when food was scarce, the daily ration was 5 grains of corn per person.

Now, more than 300 years later, we still set aside a time for giving thanks in this nation. I pray that, like the Jews in Ancient Persia, we may each take some time to remember the reason for celebrating and giving thanks. That, in a time that is economically difficult for many in our country, we remember how much harder it was for those who came to this soil with the dream of freedom. 5 grains of corn for one day’s nourishment. May we all remember to take some time to thank God for how truly blessed we are to have in front of us the relative abundance of food; to have around us family and friends; and, more than anything, to have Hope because of Jesus Christ.

Blessings on your Thanksgiving celebration!