The boll weevil

  • Published
  • By Chap. (Lt. Col.) Walter Cochran
  • 48th Fighter Wing Chaplain
ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England --  Last week was Thanksgiving, and most of us took time to be with our families and friends. Many ate the traditional Thanksgiving meal and watched some football. But, how many took the time to reflect upon God's blessings in their lives? "To think" comes from the root of the word "to thank"... people who are thoughtful are thankful.

On Sept. 6, 1620, the pilgrims set sail for the New World on a ship called the Mayflower and 65 days later arrived at Plymouth. Of the 110 pilgrims who originally sailed less than 50 survived the first winter. The winter was devastating, but the spring brought hope to the pilgrims as they settled into the New World.

In March 1621, an Indian by the name of Squanto came into the pilgrim's lives. He taught the small pilgrim community how to survive the harsh environment. He showed them how to plant corn, tap the maple trees for sap, and identify which plants were poisonous and which had medicinal qualities.

The harvest in October was a success; they had built homes and were at peace with their Indian neighbors. The pilgrim governor, William Bradford, proclaimed a day of thanksgiving. By an act of Congress, Thanksgiving is an annual holiday celebrated in the United States on the fourth Thursday in November.

It is ironic how many of our blessings do not appear to be blessings in the beginning. It appeared the first winter would wipe out the pilgrims... but it did not. Instead they adjusted and became the forefathers of the greatest nation that has ever been. Their faith, hard work and thankfulness for the opportunity to succeed were the ingredients for them to be the genesis of America's greatness today.

In a more recent time, the farmers of Alabama lost their crops to the boll weevil. They were devastated and thought they were financially destroyed. When all hope was removed, they discovered a man by the name of George Washington Carver had worked with several plants.

Carver found Alabama soil was well suited to grow peanuts and sweet potatoes.

He encouraged farmers to plant the two crops, personally creating a commercial market for peanuts and sweet potatoes. He ultimately developed 300 derivative products from peanuts and 118 from sweet potatoes. Today in Enterprise, Ala., there is a statue in the town square dedicated to the boll weevil. The people of Alabama found hard times can be the seeds for success.

In God's omniscience, He brought Squanto into the Pilgrim's lives; he placed George Washington Carver at Tuskegee University to give direction to the farmers of the South; and He sent the greatest gift to this world nearly two thousand years ago.

The Bible is replete with examples of God working the miraculous for ordinary people. This holiday season take time to be thankful. The problems you and your family face today could be the seedbed for a miracle to grow tomorrow.