Then Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up. “There’s a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd?” -John 6:8-9 NLT

People probably laughed at him. They might have mocked and brushed him off as just a kid that had no idea the gravity of the situation. Thousands of people were there, gathered, following Jesus and listening to Him speak, but now they were hungry and needed food to carry on. Somehow this young boy still had a small amount of food tucked away. Maybe he had been saving it, maybe he had been slowly eating it along the journey and this was all that was left. Whatever the reason, this brave and generous young boy heard there was a need for food to help those around him, and he stepped up. I picture in my mind him taking a deep breath of courage and quietly approaching the apostle, Andrew. Gently he taps Andrew on the back to get his attention because the voices of the thousands of people in attendance were loud. With a small voice, he holds up his meager rations and offers it to him, knowing that this was all he had and giving it to someone else may mean that he would then go hungry. If anyone watched what was happening, they might have brushed off the small offering, maybe they gave a weak smile thinking that his gesture was kind but deeply lacking. After all, how could such a tiny portion help these thousands of people before them. The boy offered nonetheless. And through his courage to step up, his bravery for speaking, his generosity for giving what he had no matter how seemingly lacking to the world that it was, lives were changed. Through his generous gift, people were fed, people’s faith grew, God was glorified, lives were changed.

Imagine also what became of the boy. He knew what he had given to Jesus that day, and he witnessed first-hand the sheer volume of blessing that was provided for all those people. He watched loaf after loaf be distributed. He watched fish after fish feed thousands, all because of Jesus and him offering what he had to Him no matter how small it was. Did the boy grow up telling this story to anyone who would listen? Did people believe because of his first-hand account? Imagine the life of that young boy as he grew and became a man that saw precisely how his little offering in the hands of Jesus could be transformed.

Many times I have thought that what I have to offer to this world is nothing, meager, not as good as others. I have had thoughts that I will be laughed at for what I have to give, but it’s all I have. But then I am reminded of this boy. The impact he ended up having on the world because of his giving what he had to God. Because he gave what he could to Jesus, his life and thousands of others lives were transformed. So, when you hear the lies that what you have to offer isn’t enough, think of this young boy and how giving what he had to Jesus, was blessed and transformed into more than enough.