Sharing "LIFE" together

 STONE SOUP 

(Ecclesiastes 4:1-12)

Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falls; for he hath not another to help him up. (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10)

I know I have cried out to God many times over the years, so I'm not sure when the first time was, oh, I know it was many years ago, likely as a child, but I know for sure in my teems I did. In my teens, I felt very alone and distressed, as my mom spent most of her time with dad, in hospital when he was sick and or at home. I never ever held that against her, she was being a help mate and I seen how together they were making things work the best they could, they were making "Stone Soup".

Whenever I cried out to God, I know now He answered, but then, I thought He had to be far, far from me. But today, I know He answered every prayer, every cry, every desperate attempt to reach out to Him. When I was in much distress, I would go to my tree, not far from the edge of the forest. I remember kneeling, standing and or laying down between the big roots of that big pine tree and allow them to hold me. As I looked up through the branches into the clear blue sky, I would cry out to God. And the answers He gave me prepared me for my life ahead.

As I grew, I found that our family in those tough ten plus years of dads sickness, it drew us together to help prepare us for our futures. In that sense it was driving us apart to become what God wanted for us, if we would only allow Him to change us into His image, His plan. But we would have never made it if each of us would have done our own thing back then. But as pulled together as a family plus I was so thankful for a community that rallied around us.  Because of that, we had many a (Stone Soup). Stone Soup was not a poor mans soup as I once thought, but rather a community soup. 

Well, what did you need for a good Stone Soup? First you needed a big pot, water, and a stone. Then a village or a community who would bring an item to share, a vegetable, a piece of meat, a spice or two and so on, and before they knew it they had enough soup to feed everyone and it was a soup that magically brought people together. This story has been around for many many years and it was used to illustrate to me at least and likely many others, the power of togetherness and sharing what you have. 

As I have studied the bible over the years, I found it talks of the strength of working together to make things work. It says, “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10). However, “pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up” (v. 10). So just like the soup, the Bible confirms we’re stronger and better together (v. 12). God’s plan is for us to live in community, helping others and receiving help in return. That’s no fairy tale; it’s truth for life. I seen it within my family and in my community where I grew up. Together we are stronger.  "A cord of three stands is not easily broken."

Lord, today, show us how we can pool our resources together to make things work, as a community and a church how can we help serve each other better? What can we give to make the "Stone Soup" better in this troubled world. Lord, I ask you today, Please help me make a difference, thank you for your many blessings so that I in turn can help others along my way. Help me, dear God, to be a big help to others through the blessing you have blessed me with. It is in your name I pray Amen