Pumpkin Praises
Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada and it’s Thanksgiving. And here is a special Thanksgiving hymn.
Come ye thankful people come
Raise the song of harvest home.
All is safely gathered in,
‘err the winter storms begin.
God our Maker doeth provide,
For our wants to be supplied.
Come to God’s own temple come,
Raise the song of harvest home.
Now that is a song for this season, and I hope you were singing or at least humming along because God expects us to be His thankful people, His grateful people who daily count our blessings, especially during Thanksgiving. And one of the best blessings is friends. Wouldn’t you agree? And this week I’m thinking of my friend Judy Squier because she gave me a very special gift. She gave me a pumpkin present.
But her’s was a very special pumpkin. It wasn’t your regular orange color; in fact it had no color. It was a white pumpkin, and Judy had decorated it for me as a gift. Now I should tell you that Judy is a double amputee and uses a wheelchair, but this woman exudes such great humor and inspiration. I love her outlook on life. So any gift from Judy Squier is going to mean something, and this white pumpkin was no exception. Because she had handwritten all over this pumpkin, lots of heartwarming encouragements that she penned in beautiful different colors! I posted a photo of her pumpkin on joniandfriends.org/radio today. So when you have a minute, check it out. Judy included on the pumpkin my favorite quotations, Bible promises, and verses. But one verse she wrote real big: Isaiah, Chapter 61, verse 1, “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, for the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed.” Now as you know, that verse is referring to Jesus, but it also could describe any ambassador of Christ who brings Good News to the brokenhearted and to those who feel trapped by their circumstances.
And that’s what Judy told me. This beautifully scripted pumpkin filled with Bible promises and verses of gratitude was her way of thanking me for serving as an ambassador of Christ to people with disabilities and their families. Wow, what a great Thanksgiving gift. And coming from Judy Squier, it meant so much. She may have a significant disability, but she’s known for her unflappable joy in the Lord. Judy has been a faithful partner with Joni and Friends for so many years, serving on the leadership teams at Family Retreats. Oh my goodness, I’m the one who should be thanking her for being a good ambassador of Christ.
So this Thanksgiving Week, would you please find a special way to express your gratitude, your thanks to your friends with a hand-scripted pumpkin? Maybe, but probably a note or a phone call would do the trick. Or give them my booklet “A Thankful Heart in a World of Hurt.” It’s something you can pick up for free today at joniandfriends.org/radio. And while you’re there, take a minute to enjoy those fun photos of my “pumpkin of praise.”
Music: “Come Ye Thankful People” text by henry Alford, tune by George J. Elvey, Public Domain
© Joni and Friends
