“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”
James 1:17 ESV
When fall arrives so do the pumpkins! They find their way into our homes in many ways from decoration, to pies to drinks. Every part of the pumpkin is edible. You may be surprised to learn that pumpkins are classified as a fruit, not a vegetable. Weird right?
Pumpkin meat is the most common part to eat. The seeds are also edible and quite nutritious too. Seasoned pumpkin seeds are quite tasty. The skins are also edible when cooked properly and were used by early European settlers as the crust in pumpkin pie when flour was hard to come by.
Pumpkin pie competitions are held every year in many places. The biggest pie ever recorded measured 20 feet (6.1 m) across and weighed 3700 pounds (1678 kg)! That’s enough pie for 12000 people to have a slice!
Why do we decorate with pumpkins in the fall? Pumpkins are hardy fruits and will keep well through the winter if stored properly. Since the entire fruit is edible they are a good source of nutrients. So they represent abundance and blessings. They are a good representation of the fall harvest that will help sustain us through the winter when few foods grow. When you see a pumpkin, thing of a blessing that God has provided in your life. Every blessing comes from him.
Question to contemplate or discuss:
- What is your favorite way to consume pumpkin?
- What is a recent blessing you have received?
- What is one way you could bless someone else today?
- Do God’s blessings outweigh the struggles and troubles we face in life?