Published Mon, Dec 08, 25.
Written by Kristy Klitz.
How Jesus Took the Little We Had to Do Something Great
Photos: 17 guests from the community gathered around the table at the Winter Wonderland Pop-Up Dinner in Old Town Clovis this past weekend; the two men who were part of the bee keeping apprenticeship this year, bravely standing in front of the hive last month without bee suits! (they had just taken their suits off)
As we reflect on the year, we can see how God took the little that we had to offer him and used it to do beyond what we could imagine or think.
As we prayed for God’s direction for Gathering Table earlier this year, I (Jeff) was challenged by the story of Jesus multiplying the fives loaves of bread and two fish to feed over 5,000 people. What struck me as I read this passage, was how the disciples first had to give up the little they had to Jesus.
16 Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”
17 “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered.
18 “Bring them here to me,” he said. (Matthew 14:16-18)
In our eyes, it doesn’t seem like much, likely their meal (or someone else's meal) for the evening. What’s one meal? And it’s safe to say it wasn’t a life or death decision for them. BUT they still had to give it up, and trust Jesus to do whatever he wanted with it. If they had held onto what they had, they would’ve only fed themselves. And more importantly, they would’ve missed out on Jesus displaying his glory as the Bread of Life by feeding thousands of people.
In a similar way, it felt what we had to offer God as a ministry this year was very little and yet costly at the same time.
For some context, Kristy and I had just had our third child together last December. So everything about the year ahead seemed more daunting than usual, especially as we began to plan five Pop-Up Dinners for the year while anticipating juggling a newborn at some of those dinners. In addition, I felt like it was God’s timing to make a first small step in the direction for us to combine ministry and farming by doing our first year of a Beekeeping Apprenticeship, where we would disciple a couple young men by reading passages of scripture together while they learned the basics of bee keeping. While this wouldn’t be a huge commitment, it would require us giving of some of our free time (which usually consists of juggling our three littles) to meet with these men a couple of times a month over about 6 months.
God was asking us to give him the little we had, so that he could multiply it into something beyond anything we could accomplish on our own.
So we did. We gave to God our time and our comforts. We stepped out into our simple plan of hosting Pop-Up Dinners every other month this year and doing the 6-month long bee keeping apprenticeship. Like the disciples in this story, it wasn’t life or death for us, but it was still challenging to give God the little we had to offer.
So where is the multiplying? How did and is God using the little we have given to him this year?
1. He is multiplying faithfulness in me and Kristy. We have labored this year to continue to be faithful with what we have been given. It has been a labor prompted by love, especially this year with a newborn. God is working in us, as we learn to trust and wait on him.
2. He is multiplying our team! We had the privilege this year to partner with 3 young ladies in planning and leading the Pop-Up Dinners. It has been such a joy to learn to follow Jesus together and learn from each other, as He continues to lead this ministry.
3. He is multiplying his kingdom. God is always at work, and his word never returns void. As we are being faithful in sowing seeds of the Gospel at these dinners, we are seeing God’s kingdom sprout up like a seedling that is starting to bear lasting fruit – unbelievers being challenged by testimonies of God working in people’s lives and being drawn closer to Jesus; new believers finding connection and discipleship; people taking their next steps in following Jesus.
It has been so much fun this year seeing God multiply our efforts, and we are excited to see where God takes Gathering Table next year. As we begin to plan and dream into 2026, we can anticipate that once again Jesus will ask us to give to him the little we have in our hands. And we can trust that he will be faithful to do the work of multiplying what we give him for the glory of his name and his kingdom.
Not to us, Lord, not to us, but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness. (Psalm 115:1)
