Stone Soup

Did you ever hear the folktale about the hungry travelers who offered to share their soup with the townspeople?  They started out with only a pot of water and a stone simmering on the fire.  Each person who passed, curious to partake, were convinced to add to it the one ingredient that would make the soup delicious and ready for consumption.  A few carrots here, a potato there, a bit of meat, some seasoning…. And before they knew it, what had started out as an empty pot, had been transformed. 

There are times, I think life is like this.  We are either looking into our preverbal pots, seeing what we do not have, or convincing ourselves and others of the potential of what is in them.  We want to contribute and partake of something bigger and better than ourselves.   But often, we feel something is missing. 

The perception of lack, I am coming to understand, is such a powerful force.  

I am not talking about money.  We are always in pursuit of provision that is needed for survival.   I am speaking about the other kind — that thing we keep buried, that tells us our lives are not fulfilling.  And if only we had that, we would be ready for what comes next.  We would be happy.

How many of us live our lives looking only at the stone?

The truth is, God created us to add to one another.  No one person has everything. We each have something unique that binds us, that enhances our existence, that creates a heartiness of wellbeing and spirit, a camaraderie that is vital and important and good.  Our hearts, commingled with others, add the spice of life that makes everything else better.   

I have known people whose lives were full — their hearths were aglow with children and relationships and all the normal ups and downs that come with real life.  But because they could only see what wasn’t in their pots, they stopped contributing.  They stopped believing in the potential of what was in the making.  They convinced themselves that what they lacked was out there somewhere.

The funny thing about lack, is the more we focus on it, the more power we give it.  It follows us, no matter where we go.  We blame others for it.  We act out.  We seek things that will substitute and fill in the gap.  A bitter broth is one that is cooked with a hard heart. 

I think God watches us, scurrying around in search of things that we think we need to make us whole, all the while waiting for the perfect time to share His secret ingredient.  He knows we are going to first try what we think will work.  We’re going to prove that we can do things without Him, that we know all the right measures of what the world has for us.  

He already knows what spoils the soup.

We all hunger for something.  We can slice and dice, and chop and spin… But when we live only for ourselves, only for what we think will fill us up, it is a recipe for disaster.  When we stop following the directions, when we think we don’t need Him and each other,  we gain nothing but more stones that leave us feeling even emptier.

Love and gratefulness are the universal ingredients that replace lack and fill our hearts.  God wants our pots overflowing with good things — with faithfulness, honesty, generosity, fun, relationships built on trust and interdependent spirits.  He knows that we are better together.  

We can’t be stingy with what we have.  It’s not the things that we can see that matter most to those we love.  It’s affirmation, being in their corner, words that build up and not tear down, praying for them, loving them, forgiving them, being an example of grace and mercy, offering encouragement or just an ear to listen.  These are the things that counter our tendencies to see lack within ourselves and our lives.  These are the things that matter, that we will be remembered for.  These are the things that make all the difference.

God gives to us so that we can give to each other.  

We may feel at times that we are only water and a stone.  But God wants you to see beyond what you think you only have, and know that you are so much more.  

Give your lack to Him and know that He will provide everything you need.  

We’re all in this pot, called life, together.  Sometimes it takes a little while for all the ingredients to blend and change and transform.  People will come and go.  Some will contribute, and others will not.

The best soups always take time to make.

Keep stirring.  It will all come together as it should.

And it’s gonna be delicious.