| More than once in recent weeks, a volunteer has walked into the pantry, stopped short, and let the surprise show on their face as they look at shelves that used to be full of food. We’re feeling a different kind of stress in the pantry these days. Visits are climbing as families feel the ripple effects of cuts to SNAP benefits, rising food and rent costs, and job insecurity. Fear and uncertainty are shaping daily life for many of our neighbors. FeedMore is receiving fewer corporate donations, leaving less for us to purchase at discounted rates, and access to USDA food in the coming months remains uncertain. Our shelves aren’t empty, but they don’t hold the cushion we’re used to. And that cushion, it turns out, has given us more comfort than we realized. So what do we do when that cushion disappears? When we start to feel the weight of “not enough”? In the Gospels, when a crowd of thousands gathers to hear Jesus, the disciples see hunger and panic sets in. They say, “Send them away so they can go to the village and buy themselves some food.” But Jesus answers, “You give them something to eat.” All they can find are five loaves and two fish, a small offering from one person in the crowd. It isn’t much, but Jesus takes what is given, blesses it, and shares it. And somehow, there is enough for everyone. That story reminds me that God’s abundance often begins with what someone is willing to place in God’s hands. The miracle happens not in the storage room, but in the sharing. When the shelves feel bare, maybe the invitation isn’t to hold back until things look secure again, but to bring what we have — our boxes of cereal, our prayers, our volunteer hours, our imagination, our faith — and trust that God can make it enough. The miracle of the loaves and fishes isn’t just that there was suddenly more food; it’s that people risked enough to share. It’s a story about community and trusting that when we each bring what we have, God multiplies it in ways that our minds can’t anticipate. We may be feeling stretched, in our pantry, in our budget, in our own lives, but we’re also surrounded by signs of God’s faithfulness. This is a moment to keep bringing what we have, to keep trusting that God will make it enough, and to keep our eyes open for the quiet miracles that happen when a community chooses generosity over fear. When the crowd was hungry, it wasn’t the disciples who had the food, it was a boy who offered his small lunch, trusting it could help. Jesus took that small act of generosity, blessed it, and used it to feed thousands. The disciples simply carried it forward, passing along what had been placed in their hands. That’s our work, too— to keep offering what we have, and to keep passing along what’s been entrusted to us. Because in God’s hands, even what feels small can become abundance. Where might God be inviting you to trust there will be enough? What do you already have—time, prayer, or resources—that God might multiply in ways you can’t yet see? |
