“Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.” 1 Corinthians 12:7

“Hey.. how about Calico Chicken for dinner tonight?” While the sentence came from Katie’s mouth to my ear, that one sentence conjured within me desire and memories, then ultimately started a chain reaction of very positive actions and events. And we didn’t even have any chicken in the house!

It’s a joke at our house. Years ago, walking in from my job, the aroma hit me! “What’s THAT smell?” I asked. She told me it was an old family recipe from the Civil war era called ‘Calico Chicken.’ The smell was so divine I couldn’t wait for dinner. I wasn’t disappointed! That night, Calico Chicken became a regular favorite in our house. But when I’d press her on the history of the dish, she simply smiled.

The other night Katie came home from the store and started mixing ingredients for that ol’ civil war recipe. Soon the house was filled with good things. With chicken bones and broth left in the pot, I asked if I might use it to make soup. The next day I went to the refrigerator and pulled out anything left over and started putting it in the pot on the stove. Now, a different aroma filled the air.

When I was done mixing random ingredients, I had a whole pot FULL of soup! It was then I remembered my neighbors were both sick, so I texted to see if they wanted any of the concoction. There went half of it! The other half we have worked on for the last few days, and each time it tastes even better than before.

While cooking, I began thinking that a Church is kind of like a pot of soup! Every church and every member is different, as every flavor adds something to the mix without becoming overbearing. As I cooked, I tasted… and each sip of the spoon, along with the discovery of something else in the fridge or cupboard, blended with the other ingredients to make a wonderful aroma and satisfying meal.

The Holy Spirit is in the Soup business. 1 Corinthians 12 tells us that He takes people, then adds to their natural personality and gives them gifts from Him. But the gifts are never given to the getter to keep for themselves. They are meant to merge, blend and satisfy the hunger of the entire body.

I didn’t write the recipe down! It was a 1 pot soup that will never be duplicated, but always appreciated. I may try to re-match the exact flavor, but it will never equaled. After years of pestering Katie about her ‘Old Family Civil Recipe’ she finally admitted she got it out of a cookbook! But it IS a part of OUR family. And like our Church, there is no taste like it.

What do YOU positively add to God’s Soup?