The Thankful Pumpkin by Scott Dunn

My family and I decided to try something new this year. It is something we have seen in the past and mentioned the activity to one another. However, like many spur-of-the-moment ideas, it always fell to the wayside. This idea is a pumpkin that you write what you are thankful for on with a sharpie. I’ll tell you why I love this idea, it’s because it makes me focus on God and the grace we are given. It makes me think of Colossians 3:15 (NIV), “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.” I would venture to say that 2020 has left us all desiring that. The Peace of Christ.

So, this year when my wife mentioned or showed me the ‘Thankful Pumpkin’, I was intentional about it and the very next day I went and got a pumpkin and a few sharpie markers. As soon as she showed it to me it was like being smacked by a truck. I clearly needed to do this for me and my family. There are very few times in my life where I can genuinely claim to be pulled toward something. I am going to credit that to me being more in-tune to God speaking to me now than I ever have in my life. Typically, I would view things like this with stoicism. Now I see it as an opportunity.

This is a small but very meaningful and intimate way to express a form of thanksgiving to God. Intentionally taking time to pray and then write out what you are thankful for on the pumpkin is a joy. Not only does this allow us to focus on being thankful to God, but it also allows us time to reflect on how we can be generous to others.

Doing this small but important activity is the essence of what 2nd Corinthians 9:11 (NIV) is about “You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.”

This is such a simple activity and to think we could have been doing this all along encourages me to find other ways I can emulate this for all seasons. It allows us to build a habit of being thankful to God and showing others we are generous because God is so good to us. It is important to establish those habits of thanksgiving too. We are fallible and run the risk of falling into old ways where we take His grace for granted. Do not say you will not; Israel did it for centuries, and God took them back every time. He will do the same with you too because He is just so amazingly good to us.

Some ideas for that are a thankful snowman, maybe. There are round body parts on one that allow you to do the same during winter. For the spring, maybe a tree where each leaf is one thankful item. For the summer, why not just use the sun? Sure, these things might sound cheesy, but it is about something bigger. The activity is a way for us to get to those bigger ticket items, and it is a great way to teach our kids. Since the activity requires thought and a function, children are more likely to engage in doing this activity compared to other activities. It becomes a wholesome nightly family activity. You just can’t argue with time well spent with those you love.

There is no right way to do this. Everyone’s pumpkin will be different. We bought a small white pumpkin; I drew a cross on one location, and we have begun writing out what we are thankful for. I chose a small pumpkin, mostly because I want us to see it as a success. If I had gone with a ginormous pumpkin upfront, this activity would probably have gone from joy to loathing. If we fill this pumpkin up and there is more to be thankful for (there is) then next year, let’s go bigger.

Showing God thanksgiving is just a wonderful activity that is intended to be done daily. Every day is another chance to share the gospel with your neighbor who may be struggling, and you are unaware. Thank God for that, for your neighbor you baked a pie for. For the senior you cleaned the gutters for. Thank him for the ability to donate to a cause that pulls at your heart. Thank him for the opportunity, countless opportunities, to show the world who He is and what it means to be a child of the King.

I think I have already convinced myself in writing this that our pumpkin is too small. Our hearts have no limits, only ones we put on it out of fear. I need to thank God for that today. For an unchained heart.

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Scott Dunn is a Christian husband and father who has spent over 15 years in the telecommunications industry. He is the founder of Talking with God (https://twgpodcast.com), a podcast that seeks to educate and encourage a closer relationship with God. Scott is a northerner who migrated south and has fully acclimated to the wonderful area known as the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. He serves at his local church by helping with the production and online streaming of services. He has a genuine passion for the Christian man and his responsibilities, often writing about them on his blog https://justholdfast.com. Here he shares open and real-life experiences so that other men can relate to the human condition and how that relates to a stronger love relationship with God.