One line from Sunday's Gospel has stayed with me all week.
When the disciples tell Jesus that they have only five loaves and two fish, Jesus doesn't ask them to find more. He doesn't tell them to work harder or become more capable before returning.
He simply says, "Bring them here to me."
I wonder how often we spend our lives waiting until we think we have enough before offering ourselves to God. We tell ourselves we'll volunteer when life slows down, pray when our schedule is less hectic, or step into a new ministry once we feel more prepared. We quietly assume that God is waiting for a future version of ourselves.
But the Gospel suggests something different.
Jesus begins with what the disciples already have, not what they wish they had. Five loaves and two fish seemed painfully inadequate until they were placed into Christ's hands. Only then did the disciples discover that God's grace is never limited by human calculations.
Perhaps that is the invitation for each of us this week.
Instead of focusing on what you lack, ask yourself a different question: What am I still holding that Christ is asking me to place into his hands?
It might be a gift you've underestimated. It might be a burden you've been carrying alone. It might be a relationship that needs healing, a conversation you've been avoiding, or simply the ordinary moments of your daily life.
The miracle of the Gospel is not that God asks us to become extraordinary before following him.
The miracle is that God delights in taking ordinary lives, blessing them with grace, and using them in ways we never imagined possible.
May we have the courage this week to hear Jesus' invitation once again:
"Bring them here to me."
