There Will Always be Enough

Having faith in God requires not only belief but courage. Will we have enough food to eat? Will our money run out before the end of the month? When it comes to our lives, without courage we turn to worldly logic such as debt and crooked deals, just so we can eat. It doesn’t have to be that way.

At that time, Jesus, lifting up his eyes and seeing that a multitude was coming to him, said to Philip, “How are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” This he said to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.” One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what are they among so many?” Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place; so the men sat down, in number about five thousand. Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the fragments left over, that nothing may be lost.” So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten. When the people saw the sign which he had done, they said, “This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world!”

John 6.5-14

I want to tell you a story. The story is true, and happened to me when I was the priest in South Carolina. A ‘miracle icon’ was going to be a few hours away, so I went to visit the Panagia Kardiotissa. The holy icon’s ‘home’ is St George Carpatho-Russian Church in Taylor, PA.

It was a moving experience that I actually enjoyed twice within a few years, but the story I’m about to tell was from my first encounter with her. I was blessed to hold the icon while some faithful venerated, as it was ‘literally dripping’ with myrrh. I could smell the myrrh for days.

As I was preparing to return home, I requested permission to keep the cotton ball I had been using to anoint hundreds of faithful that night. I wanted to anoint my congregation back home. One cotton ball would be enough I was told.

The next day was Sunday, so I was blessed to share the blessing by anointing everyone in Church with the same cotton ball I had been using the night before. I had NOT dipped the cotton in myrrh after I began the evening before.

In other words, whatever myrrh was on the cotton was what I received. Here is where my story gets interesting. Not only was there enough myrrh to anoint hundreds of people, but the cotton ball was still dripping with myrrh until the very end.

Just try dipping a cotton ball in oil and see how many times you can wipe before it is dry. Four or five times, maybe? Each person in my congregation was also allowed to have a ‘clean’ cotton ball and receive myrrh to take home. The entire time it was dripping with myrrh, until the end.

After everyone was anointed, and after everyone had received some myrrh for their home, the cotton ball was dry. I placed it in a special container on the Holy Altar Table. The next week a parishioner who had been out of town requested to be anointed, and again the cotton had myrrh.

I share this story to help understand that when we are asked to have courage and faith that there will always be enough when God is working, He always comes through. Whether it is bread in the desert, or myrrh from an icon, we will always have enough from God.

The issue isn’t will we have enough, but will we be satisfied with what we have? If what we want from God is His blessing and grace, then whatever He gives to us will satisfy us.

The cotton remains dry on my home altar today. Maybe someday, someone will need it. I’m sure God will provide for that person the way He provided for the hundreds I have already anointed with the same cotton ball.

There will always be enough, not too much, but enough.