Have you ever felt completely unprepared for something? I remember a time in Nashville when I found myself in exactly that situation.
There I was, freezing cold, standing outside a REI store with my family when I accidentally locked our rental car - with our daughter Izzy still inside, asleep in her car seat.
And the keys?
Yeah, they were in there too.
I had nothing useful except a cell phone.
So I did what any panicked parent would do: I called 911.
The fire truck arrived with all the fanfare of a Santa parade, sirens blaring (which, of course, woke up Izzy).
I was expecting them to bring out some high-tech equipment - maybe even the Jaws of Life.
Instead, the firefighter dramatically revealed his tool of choice: a wire coat hanger.
I wanted the fancy equipment, but all we needed was that simple piece of wire in the right hands.
Sometimes, it's not about what we have - it's about whose hands it's in.
This reminds me of a powerful story from Matthew's Gospel.
Jesus was teaching a massive crowd - we're talking over 5,000 people - and they were hungry.
The disciples came to Jesus with a seemingly impossible situation: thousands of hungry people and only five loaves of bread and two fish.
There were 5000 consumers and just one boy with a lunch.
That's a terrible ratio.
Think about it - he could have sat alone under a tree and enjoyed the meal his mother packed for him.
But instead, he offered what little he had.
When Jesus saw the crowd, He was moved with compassion.
He didn't send them away hungry - He provided for them.
This wasn't just about feeding people; it was a glimpse of what was to come.
Jesus' first miracle was turning water into wine, and here He was again, showing compassion through provision.
It's what He does.
But here's the fascinating part: Jesus took the bread, blessed it, and broke it before it could multiply.
The provision came through the breaking.
Sometimes in our lives, we only see the brokenness, but in Christ, that brokenness isn't the end - it's the beginning of something greater.
Jesus didn't need to break the bread to feed the crowd.
But He chose to do it this way, pointing us to His table, to Himself, to His body that would be broken on the cross.
And when everyone had eaten?
There were twelve baskets of leftovers - one for each disciple.
Jesus doesn't just provide enough; He provides more than enough.
His grace overflows.
There's no sin too great, no need too big that His cross cannot cover.
The physical meal that day was just a shadow of a greater reality - only Jesus can truly satisfy.
At the cross, He gave everything so we could have eternal life.
He's still calling us today to come to Him, to trust Him, and to receive the Bread of Life that never runs out.
So maybe you're feeling empty, uncertain, or distant from God right now.
Remember this story.
Remember that sometimes what looks like "only five loaves and two fish" in your life can become more than enough in the right hands.
Because it's not about what we bring - it's about the hands we bring it to.
