More Than Enough…

“… what good are these among so many?…Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks and distributed them…” (John 6:9,11)

Here’s the very familiar story of Jesus feeding five thousand people by multiplying a young boy’s lunch (probably packed by a very perspicacious mom!). Andrew, one of the disciples, finds this small amount of food, and then voices his judgement: too little, inadequate, forget about it.

So often, I have found myself facing a situation which feels similar: the needs I see around me are so great, so vast, and so profound that it feels overwhelming. The ill, the poor, the homeless guy on the street corner, the sad, lonely folks who walk the streets, ignorant of the Good News and blind to God’s love for them. My resources are meager, my ability to make any impact is minimal. I’m tempted to feel great discouragement, and often I simply want to turn a blind eye to what seems like a lost cause.

In Jesus’ hands though – like the boy’s little lunch in the Gospel – anything I do out of love and obedience becomes, “…more than they could eat.”. I must give Him the little that I have and am, and let Him “distribute”, for then there will miraculously be more than enough. It’s hard to wrap my mind around that fact; yet He who created the world from absolutely nothing by simply saying a Word is more than enough for the task I (and we) have been given. The old statement is indeed true: He doesn’t send the equipped; He equips those He sends.

What’s needed is faith for sure, but also much humility and some courage to step out and do something, even if I make a mistake or do it poorly. My courage, fortified by confident faith that God will somehow show up and come to my aid, will help me to grow and to be freed from the narrow perspective that sees only what is, not what could be.