One of my favorite pieces of scripture is the story of the loaves and fishes.
Hearing it during Mass over the years always grabs me and helps me reflect on how it might be speaking to me in my own life.
And, if I am completely honest with myself, I quickly realize that there have been many moments in my life where I hear myself say: โYou are not good enough, Jack. Not successful enough. Not talented enough. Not faithful enough. Not experienced enough. Not worthy enough.โ
That inner voice often grows louder during seasons of loss, of transition, of disappointment, or of simply waiting for that moment I had been praying for that never seems to arrive on my timeline or unfolds in a different way than I had asked for.
But the story of the loaves and fishes reminds me that this whisper โ this inner voice telling me I am not enough โ is not the voice of God.
What the Loaves and Fishes Teach Us About Being Enough
When Jesus asked the apostles what they had, they responded, โWe have here only five loaves and two fishโ โ a response seemingly rooted in the fear that what they had could never possibly be enough to feed everyone in the crowd.
How often do each of us stand in that same place as the apostles?
We look at our limitations instead of our possibilities.
Our fears instead of our faith.
Our inadequacies instead of Godโs abundance.
He never asks us, โWhy donโt you have more, Jack?โ
He simply asks, โJack, what do you have?โ
The miracle does not begin with abundance. It begins when something that we think is too little or not enough is placed trustingly into His hands.
Hands that are wide open and carrying all that we are: our gifts and wounds, our hopes and disappointments, our victories and failures, our faith and our fragile doubt.
It does not have to be whole or perfect, but only surrenderedโto let go and let God do the rest.
So when that old and familiar voice returns and says, โJack, you are not enough,โ I need to remember thatโs not His voice.
His voice is gentler, truer, and nearer. It is the voice that blesses, breaks, multiplies, and transforms what we place in His hands.
And itสผs the voice that keeps reminding us:
โCome to me.โ
โDo not be afraid.โ
And perhaps most powerfully: โJack, bring me what you have.โ
๐๐จ ๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ฎ?
Where in your life are you telling yourself, โI am not enoughโ?
And what โfive loaves and two fishโ might God be asking you to place in His hands today?
Wishing my clients, fellow coaches, colleagues, and friends the grace to trust that what we bring to the Lord — however small or imperfect — can become more than enough in His hands, Dr. K
#Executivecoaching #Careercoaching #Spiritualcoaching #Griefsupport
