Of the original 102 Pilgrims, 58 did not make it through the first winter.
It was a desperate situation.
Yet the remaining 44 kept turning to God... and with the help of local Indians they were ready for the next time snow covered the ground.
After their first harvest in the fall of 1621, about 90 Indians joined the Pilgrims to celebrate God's provision.
And despite all their losses and hardship, the Pilgrims were not bitter.
They were grateful... and looked hopefully to the years ahead.
We can only imagine what the future would have brought if ingratitude had dominated the Pilgrims hearts.
I suppose they would have eventually lost heart and self-destructed in some way.
But because they were ruled by a spirit of gratitude, they plowed ahead and developed a thriving colony.
And that, my friend, is a good reminder that a necessary ingredient to developing your own domain is a grateful heart.
"Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever" (Ps.107:1).