Ladling Love (03/06/2026)

Yesterday, I put on my apron at 8 a.m. and took it off at 8 p.m. The long day brought ladles of love in various ways at different times. And I am reminded that the LORD calls us to His Way daily and of the graces and blessings that abound when we show up.

The first blessing was coming to know another woman of the parish better, seeing her talents but also her joy at being called to share them and use them for the LORD and others. I was amazed at her organization, her authentic care for the good of others, her desire to make the day’s labors into a gift for our LORD and our community. We are blessed to have her and her young family among us.

The second blessing was witnessing the generosity of so many who took time to produce luscious treats for the dessert table and loaves of homemade breads to share with our guests. As the donations of food trickled in, I was reminded of the story of stone soup from the revolutionary war period where the individuals share with others even though they themselves may not have had that much. The gracious generosity of others and their joy in sharing warmed my heart.

Then the LORD rewarded me by allowing me to witness the wave of volunteers who came to serve others. They put on their aprons, they asked for tasks to complete, and as they did their work, they collaborated with others and talked to one another all the while. Watching the mac and cheese being made from scratch with the tallest volunteer tackling the macaroni in a tall pan too high for me to reach over to the two who prepped the roaster for the final combination of sauce and pasta to the woman who measured out the milk for the sauce flanked by the woman who chopped up the cheese. The sight would have made the floor supervisor of Ford envious of their cheerful collaboration techniques made possible by the Spirit.

When the soups started arriving, there was a flurry of activity to get it warmed to the proper temperatures before serving time without blowing circuits. While the placement of crock pots and roasters dotted the parish hall, there was someone assigned to watch and stir and tend each one as the work crew kept creeping around the drop cords and other volunteers. I was reminded of my times watching ant hills and bee hives as a child. I smiled to myself. The LORD’s divine design was at work here the same as there.

And a half hour before the first ladle of soup was served, the community started to arrive. They walked the building, checking out the desserts, surveying the tables set up with bread baskets, butter, salt and pepper, and water pitchers with glasses. They wandered over and checked out the mac and cheese table and stood and read the names of the six homemade soups that were on the menu. The energy built systematically.

At 5:30 sharp, we opened with a welcome to our guests, an explanation of the process of claiming one’s supper, and then a prayer of thanksgiving for all that had happened to make it possible and a prayer seeking blessings upon the food we were about to receive as well as the community we were about to nourish. And then the free community soup supper began with women ladling soup, guest visiting with one another in line and back at tables, with children ecstatic about the array of cookies and treats, and with teen volunteers asking if there were ways they could help. The Spirit hovered over us and stirred within us. It was great!

One of our great volunteers showed up to run the dishwasher and the sound of scraping dishes and the chatter between dish dryers filled the back of the kitchen. The soup supplies dwindled while the sense of blessings increased. And 90 minutes after the first ladle of soup was served, we were wishing our guests farewell and putting the house back in order. We estimated that we served close to 200 people last evening and sent take outs to several more.

And the busy hands just kept working. We closed the lines at 7 p.m. and at 7:45 the chair of the supper and I thanked one another for the other’s help, turned off the lights, and locked the door. God is good!

As we continue on our journeys home to our loving LORD, let us remember to do our parts along the way, to join with others for love of our LORD and one another, let us open ourselves to the LORD’s call to share what we have received with joy. And let us never tire of witnessing love ladled out lavishly.

Until tomorrow, let us all love well.