From the book embracing now: pain, joy, healing, living 

tiny ingredients for a large audience.
not enough, those two words which
often describe so many stories
of our lives.
not enough.
we seek.
we hope.
we pray.
we reach.
we fall.
we have not enough.

the crowd came to hear Jesus.
the crowd came hungry,
maybe for words
but certainly for a meal.

the followers of Christ
didn’t bring sufficient provision.
they wouldn’t have enough to supply
their target audience
even if they’d worked in advance.

so why try?
why not ask them to bring
their gifts to
the Leader?

Jesus didn’t work that way.
Jesus wouldn’t fit today.

size of gift? tiny.
any return expected? none.
a child willing to assist,
however possible
with all he had.
not enough. not enough. never enough.
so seems the mental perspective
often leading our views
when hearing our news,
in our routine.

five thousand people.
two fish.
five loaves of bread.
do the math.
imagine the scene.
assume the assumptions.

but Jesus didn’t do the norm.
Jesus didn’t fit the mathematical model.
from little came much.
more than enough,
a reality.

and us?
can we learn about needing,
offering all,
seeing a miracle?
can we learn about
giving and believing?