Pumpkin Pie Blessings

⁴ There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. ⁵ There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. ⁶ There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.  1 Corinthians 12:4-6

About a week ago, my dear, dear friend Judy heard me babbling about how much I like pumpkin pie, and what did she do?  Yes, she made pumpkin pie and shared it with me.  It was absolutely delicious.  I had to wrestle my boys, who equally love it too, for the last piece.  I’m sad to report, that they won.  Each bite was such a delight.  I am sure thankful for Judy and her thoughtfulness.  She has a precious gift for hospitality and for welcoming.  She thinks in details.  You have only to see the greeting cards that she makes herself from scratch.  They are so intricately wonderful and so full of carefully crafted designs, you can actually see the love in them.  Even when she sends you a store-bought card, she adds touches to them which make them unique.  My sons love getting things in the mail from her because they know, as soon as they see her label on them that it is going to be something special.

In a world where cookie-cutter-style is the norm, she goes out of her way to make one feel unique and special.  I praise the Lord for her friendship and for her gift which she so generously shares with those around her.  At a season of the year where my soul tends to drift toward melancholy, God provides me with details of love to cheer me up.  Simple things, like home-made pumpkin pie made by the loving hands of a friend represent one of the multitudes of things Divine Providence offers to us to meet our needs.  But it also takes the willing collaboration of His beloved. 

Our Father is the Provider of all things, and He provides each of His children with different abilities and skills.  If His gifted children were to decide to keep their gifts to themselves, the gifts would be wasted.  It doesn’t mean that His Divine Providence would not find its way to us; but O the waste.  Those with the gift would so miss out on their part in the Divine plan. 

 The Word says that:  to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. (1 Corinthians 12:7)  Therefore, we are not to think of our gifts as private possessions.  They belong to the Giver, and are given to us to fulfill His purpose and reach out to His beloved. 

I bet Judy didn’t even realize that baking that pumpkin pie was going to mean so much to me.  Not many people consider a pie something worth pondering.  But Our God is the God of the details.  He knows His children.  He knows me.  He knew that a slice of pumpkin pie would bring joy to my spirit at an otherwise somber season, and He provided it.  And for that, I give thanks.