Stuffed With Blessings

                           From the fullness of grace we have received one blessing after another.
                                                                             John 1:16 (NIV)

Whether it’s Thanksgiving or not, one of my favorite dishes is turkey and stuffing, with extra gravy and plenty of cranberry sauce. The oldest reference to stuffing is from Apicius, a Roman gourmet who lived around the 2nd century BC. In his cookbook, he describes recipes for using vegetables, herbs, spices and cereal stuffed in chicken, rabbit, pig and even doormouse (yuck!). Stuffing has appeared in cookbooks ever since and was very popular at Medieval banquets. The term “stuffing” did not appeal to the sensibilities of the Victorian nobility, so the more delicate word “dressing” was substituted. A term that caught on in here in the South. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stuffing)

The word “stuff” means to cram full. After we have enjoyed our fill of turkey and dressing, gravy and cranberries, beans and greens, macaroni and cheese, hot rolls and pecan pie, we push away from the table and say, “I’m stuffed.”

Each year at Thanksgiving I am reminded my life is stuffed full of so many blessings I am thankful for. In the hymn “Count Your Many Blessings” we sing:

Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God hath done!

The blessings I am thankful begin with a God who loves me and has given me life, for my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who paid the price for my sins, for the Holy Spirit who guides my heart each day…   my faith, my family, my church and my friends… grace, forgiveness, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control… good health and good food, beaches and mountain tops, valleys and rivers, rest and relaxation, sunshine and star light, old people and young people, babies and teenagers, raindrops on roses, smiles and hugs, butterflies and dolphins, cats and dogs, Ice Dreams and chocolate, laughter and tears, walks in the rain and in the sun, bike rides and car rides, turkey and stuffing,…count your many blessings name them one by one.

I pray that God will grant you a grace filled Thanksgiving crammed with thoughts of how God has “stuffed” your life with so many blessings. May it be that when you say, “I’m stuffed!” it is more than just the food you ate.

Prayer: Gracious and Giving God, we thank you for the many blessings you so generously give us. Fill our hearts with a daily spirit of thanksgiving. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Next Step: During the month of November, every day write out five things you are thankful for. There is one rule: you cannot repeat the same blessing twice!

In His Word,
Reverend Dee Dee Lawson