Women and Stone Soup

I was thinking about the classic children’s book entitled Stone Soup.  I won’t tell the whole story here, but basically some hungry soldiers come marching into a village.  The starving villagers hide their meager food supplies from them.  The soldiers decide to make a large kettle of soup, boiling the water and adding some rocks, making “stone soup.”  The villagers are tricked into making their own contributions–a carrot, a potato, an onion, some meat–transforming the simple “stone soup” into a delicious feast. What began as “stone soup” ends up a community effort which produces something nourishing that feeds everyone.

Isn’t that like what we do in the women’s ministry?  We decide on the soup (women’s event) that we want to create.  No one woman has all the ingredients to make that soup.  But God has given women unique gifts and talents that she alone can contribute.  One oversees the event planning, another decorates, someone teaches, one writes a skit, others perform it, some greet, someone leads worship, others craft a giveaway, some may prepare food, and others help with set up, clean up, errands, etc.  As we work together, a delicious “feast” is provided.