Stone Soup and Strategic Alliances
A famine swept across the land after the war. Food was scarce and people were scared. An out of work soldier making his way back to his home town stopped at a village. He went from door to door seeking shelter and food but with such limited resources the people of the village sadly turned him away saying “There is nothing to spare here.” And “You best move on. We don’t even have enough food for ourselves.”
Thinking quickly, the solder replied “No need for me to continue on today. I am tired and I have all I need.” This intrigued the people of the village. From their homes they watched as he began to unload his pack and set up a neat little camp.
He gathered some fire wood, water and, without the villagers noticing, a medium size stone the he snuck back into his pack. The soldier started a small cooking fire and filled a good sized pot with some of the water he collected. When he placed the pot over the fire the villagers’ curiosity overcame their suspicion and a few of them approached the soldier. “What do you have to cook? Will you be dining on hot water tonight?”
“Oh no.” replied the soldier as he turned to his pack. He gently reached in and, with care and reverence, removed the rock that he had placed in the pack earlier. “I have what I need for the makings of the most delicious soup ever tasted.” At that he washed the stone with some water and showed it to the curious villagers. “It’s called stone soup. This special soup stone will turn this water into a wonderful meal.”
The soldier placed the wondrous stone (that moments before had held no significance) into the pot. The soldier watched the pot as the villagers’ eyes went between the pot and the soldier like the crowd at a tennis match, expectantly waiting for the soup to be done. As they waited the soldier told them of his adventures during the war and of the far off lands he had seen. After a while the soldier pulled out a spoon and tasted the stone soup. Smacking his lips he said “Wow, this is a good batch. But what would make it even better is just a bit of onion.”
The villagers present looked at each other and a child that was there remembered where she had hidden a medium size onion. “Hold on” she said, without explanation, as she ran off. A few minutes later she returned with the one of the five precious onions she had been hording. She offered to the soldier. Thanking her as he took it. He peeled it, sliced it into thick chunks and dropped into the pot.
Sitting back, the soldier began to tell more of his adventures and travels.
After several more stories the soldier tasted the stone soup again. “Mmm, this soup is really coming together now. The one thing that will put it over the top would some cabbage.”
Again the villagers searched each others faces and a farmer remembered the cabbage he had stored in his cellar. Excusing himself, he quickly walked back to his house, grabbed a head of cabbage that he had been saving and brought it back to the soldier and the growing group of curious villagers.
The soldier thanked the farmer as he handed over the cabbage. He chopped it up and placed it into the pot along with the onion and the stone. Again the soldier sat back, told some stories, tasted the soup and declared “Fantastic!, but how great would this be with some salt.” A villager ran off and grabbed a bit of the salt that they had in the back of their cupboard. Then the soldier repeated the sequence and wondered if some carrots would make it better. Then a bit of meat and some pepper, one by one the villagers began to offer up all the things that make for a spectacular meal. As they offered them to the soldier, he received them graciously and placed them into the pot.
As he added the offered ingredients the group was captivated by the amazing aroma emanating from the overflowing pot. So not to waste the delectable soup, before any soup could spill out onto the ground the soldier would fill a bowl, place two or three spoons into it and hand to a few of the people. As the stone soup continued to simmer everyone who had gathered had been served a meal sized portion of this wonderful concoction. Then something amazing happened. The soldier served up another portion of the soup but no one wanted to take it. For the first time since the war they were full. Looking in the pot they could see that there was even a bit of leftover soup.
This fable from Europe expresses the amazing possibilities of noticing available resources rather than assuming scarcity. Instead of focusing on your limitations and what you don’t have you can turn your eyes to the abundance that exists around you. The soldier helped the village notice that, in the midst of a famine, a feast exists if you look beyond yourself.
Your group may get trapped in this perspective of scarcity and competitive thinking. Your conversations may center on what you don’t have or what resources are available to other campuses. When you focus on your limitations they define your resources, expectations and abilities. Open your eyes to the abundance with which God surrounds you. There are people, organizions or business that can offer support and resources and you may posses things that they need as well. It may not be what you expect but will be what you need.
Thinking quickly, the solder replied “No need for me to continue on today. I am tired and I have all I need.” This intrigued the people of the village. From their homes they watched as he began to unload his pack and set up a neat little camp.
He gathered some fire wood, water and, without the villagers noticing, a medium size stone the he snuck back into his pack. The soldier started a small cooking fire and filled a good sized pot with some of the water he collected. When he placed the pot over the fire the villagers’ curiosity overcame their suspicion and a few of them approached the soldier. “What do you have to cook? Will you be dining on hot water tonight?”
“Oh no.” replied the soldier as he turned to his pack. He gently reached in and, with care and reverence, removed the rock that he had placed in the pack earlier. “I have what I need for the makings of the most delicious soup ever tasted.” At that he washed the stone with some water and showed it to the curious villagers. “It’s called stone soup. This special soup stone will turn this water into a wonderful meal.”
The soldier placed the wondrous stone (that moments before had held no significance) into the pot. The soldier watched the pot as the villagers’ eyes went between the pot and the soldier like the crowd at a tennis match, expectantly waiting for the soup to be done. As they waited the soldier told them of his adventures during the war and of the far off lands he had seen. After a while the soldier pulled out a spoon and tasted the stone soup. Smacking his lips he said “Wow, this is a good batch. But what would make it even better is just a bit of onion.”
The villagers present looked at each other and a child that was there remembered where she had hidden a medium size onion. “Hold on” she said, without explanation, as she ran off. A few minutes later she returned with the one of the five precious onions she had been hording. She offered to the soldier. Thanking her as he took it. He peeled it, sliced it into thick chunks and dropped into the pot.
Sitting back, the soldier began to tell more of his adventures and travels.
After several more stories the soldier tasted the stone soup again. “Mmm, this soup is really coming together now. The one thing that will put it over the top would some cabbage.”
Again the villagers searched each others faces and a farmer remembered the cabbage he had stored in his cellar. Excusing himself, he quickly walked back to his house, grabbed a head of cabbage that he had been saving and brought it back to the soldier and the growing group of curious villagers.
The soldier thanked the farmer as he handed over the cabbage. He chopped it up and placed it into the pot along with the onion and the stone. Again the soldier sat back, told some stories, tasted the soup and declared “Fantastic!, but how great would this be with some salt.” A villager ran off and grabbed a bit of the salt that they had in the back of their cupboard. Then the soldier repeated the sequence and wondered if some carrots would make it better. Then a bit of meat and some pepper, one by one the villagers began to offer up all the things that make for a spectacular meal. As they offered them to the soldier, he received them graciously and placed them into the pot.
As he added the offered ingredients the group was captivated by the amazing aroma emanating from the overflowing pot. So not to waste the delectable soup, before any soup could spill out onto the ground the soldier would fill a bowl, place two or three spoons into it and hand to a few of the people. As the stone soup continued to simmer everyone who had gathered had been served a meal sized portion of this wonderful concoction. Then something amazing happened. The soldier served up another portion of the soup but no one wanted to take it. For the first time since the war they were full. Looking in the pot they could see that there was even a bit of leftover soup.
This fable from Europe expresses the amazing possibilities of noticing available resources rather than assuming scarcity. Instead of focusing on your limitations and what you don’t have you can turn your eyes to the abundance that exists around you. The soldier helped the village notice that, in the midst of a famine, a feast exists if you look beyond yourself.
Your group may get trapped in this perspective of scarcity and competitive thinking. Your conversations may center on what you don’t have or what resources are available to other campuses. When you focus on your limitations they define your resources, expectations and abilities. Open your eyes to the abundance with which God surrounds you. There are people, organizions or business that can offer support and resources and you may posses things that they need as well. It may not be what you expect but will be what you need.
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