One of my ministries chooses a piece of scripture to analyze each week. This week, we discussed Matthew 14:13-21 where Jesus feeds the 5000. It reads: “As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.” Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered. Bring them here to me,” he said.”

This story offers a few different interpretations of its meaning. In my eyes, this story reveals how we can offer whatever we have and everything we have to support those in need. Now, the disciples had a point in that 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish would not feed over 5,000 people. But, they gave all they could and Jesus delivered the rest. In my ministries in Durham, I work with a wide range of people ranging from third graders, to middle schoolers, to people with intellectual disabilities. Now, one similarity between my ministries with these people is that I am not an expert at working with ANY of them. I really had no experience this year working with younger kids (especially 8 and 9 year olds), especially compared to Kristyn who has a degree in elementary education. I’m not a teacher. I’m not trained to be a basketball coach. I have no certificates or degrees, or techniques to work with people with disabilities.

This doesn’t really seem to matter to the people I serve and serve with, however. All they care about is that I’m there. I’m able to be a consistent presence in their lives by just conversing with them and showing up. What I’ve learned is that you don’t need to be an expert in ministry or teaching or whatever to have an effect on people’s lives. Like the disciples handing out fish and bread from an infinite bounty through Christ, I can let Jesus work through me to give people their fill, even if I don’t feel like I’m necessarily the best person for the job.