Hello, God. It's me, Mara.

You know, Lord, a silly calendar has a "Know-It-All" on every single day, so, a glance showed that the other day was "Hot Tea Day." We didn't even notice that, but hot tea is what we had. Then there's a "Gumdrop Day"; maybe some grandkids would be delighted in doing that! "Pizza Day" would be a great day to share some with busy working friends; we might have to check into that, right? A friend suggested that there was probably also a "Make A Special Soup Day." We didn't look that one up but it was a reminder of a "story" we'd heard long ago. It goes something like this:

"'Stone Soup' is an old tale with many versions that tells of a starving man who comes to a village, but no one there can spare a crumb of food for him. He puts a stone and some water in a pot over a fire. Intrigued, the villagers watch him as he begins to stir his 'soup.' Eventually, one person brings a couple of potatoes to add to the mix; another person has a few carrots to add. One person adds an onion, another, a handful of barley. A farmer donates some milk. Eventually, the 'Stone Soup' becomes a tasty chowder."

That tale surely illustrates the value of sharing; it reminds us to bring what we have, even when it seems to be insignificant. In John 6:1-14, we read of a boy who appears to be the only person in a huge crowd who thought about bringing some food. Christ's disciples had little use for the boy's sparse lunch of five loaves and two fishes. But when it was surrendered, Jesus increased it and feed thousands of hungry people.

Jesus just wants us to be willing to bring what we have to Him, maybe to make a different version to Stone Soup. Thank you, Jesus, for a wonderful story.

Love, Mara