Soup Kitchen Miracles....

For over twenty-five years I have been a Saturday volunteer at the Trinity Lutheran Soup Kitchen.  Now, I am not myself a Lutheran, but was married to one, and taught at two different Lutheran schools over the course of my 28 year teaching career.  I also know the difference between the Lutheran Church in America and both the Missouri and Wisconsin Synods.  I have sat thorough many family discussions of why the old red hymnal/prayer book was superior to the current green one; I know all the words and verses to "A Mighty Fortress is Our God" (which I call the Lutheran anthem) and "Beautiful Savior". I also admit that I like Luther's theology around the aspect of "grace freely given". My children have been known to call themselves "Lutherpalians"; my youngest child attended a Lutheran college. I know what a narthex is, and, with my Scandinavian married name, could probably successfully "pass" for Lutheran anywhere.  But I digress...

Interior Trinity Lutheran SI,NY

Most Saturday mornings you will find me at the Soup Kitchen/Pantry in Stapleton at Trinity, and we have a system going on.  We have a rotating rota of cooks that prepare the meal; we have a rotating list of volunteer groups that serve the meal; we have a rotating group of folks who clean up after the meal, or actually during the meal so we're not there until midnight. It usually goes like clockwork.  Until it doesn't....and that is when, as my friend and fellow soup kitchen volunteer Nina says: " A soup kitchen miracle happens."

Waiting for lunch

Sometimes we may not have enough servers, but at the last minute five more people show up to help;  sometimes the frozen mac and cheese is not heating up as quickly as we wish, but then the ovens get pushed up to 500 degrees and we are ready on time.  Sometimes we run out of the main course, but then someone begins boiling water and we serve spaghetti and meatballs from the "reserve" and extra apple sauce cups come from the pantry, and we have a hot meal for all.


Now, normally I am the calm one.  I have faith that, in the words of Julian of Norwich, "All will be well".  Well, today I almost lost it!


One of our rotating kitchen coordinators, Mary Cicc (the names have been abbreviated to protect the innocent) had a pleasant encounter with a local restaurateur who told her he was interested in providing a meal for our clients.  She happily agreed to provide a date for him to come and, after he visited us at the Soup Kitchen, a date and a menu of chicken/sausage paella were picked out. He would provide this week's lunch.  It made us happy!  But then we waited, and waited and waited.


The dessert was doled out; the bread was cut; the plates were counted; the forks, knives and spoons were set in place; the napkins, salt and pepper were readied, but no paella in sight. 11:00, 11:30, 12:00, 12:15....We began to seat our guests, explained the problem, gave out desserts...twice, gave everyone an appetizer of French bread and American cheese.  And we waited....and waited.  And we prayed...and prayed that everything was really going to be well. 


Chicken and sausage paella

And finally at12:35 the food arrived!  The van they wanted to use to transport the food would not start in the cold weather and they took cabs to get to the Soup Kitchen!  We gave all of our guests two plate-fulls because we were sorry to "put them out".  They LOVED the meal. We were able to feed 60 people a healthy meal today, a little late, but it happened.

So, Nina...thank you for what you always say to me: "It will happen. It is the Soup Kitchen miracle."

 Amen and amen, again.