just enough is more than enough ...

the second grade at my school is raising butterflies. they started off as tiny caterpillars, in little plastic cups with a layer of food at the bottom, and have been getting bigger and bigger, seemingly right before our eyes. they’ve now begun to spin their silk in preparation for becoming a chrysalis, some of them already suspended in mid-air.


what struck me today is how much food still remains in the bottom of each cup. it’s amazing how they each know exactly when they’re supposed to move on to the next stage of their development, without worrying about what it seems they are leaving behind. they don’t overindulge, but eat only what they need to reach their fullest potential. can you imagine what would happen if a caterpillar just kept eating and eating? he would miss out on becoming what he was created to be.

it makes me think about the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000. john 6 says that the people “all ate as much as they wanted” and that the leftovers they collected filled 12 baskets. i could be wrong, but it doesn’t seem like 5,000 men + women and children would have had a hard time finishing off 12 baskets of leftovers. the crowd left full, with just enough remaining for the disciples. but it still wasn’t enough.

they continued to follow Jesus relentlessly, but He calls them out, saying “‘i tell you the truth, you want to be with me because i fed you, not because you understood the miraculous signs. but don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food.’ they replied, ‘we want to perform God’s works, too. what should we do?’ Jesus told them, ‘this is the only work God wants from you: believe in the one He has sent.’ they answered, ‘show us a miraculous sign if you want us to believe in you. what can you do?’” (john 6:26-27, 29-30)

what can you do? really?!?! are they not the ones who had just eaten until they were full from only 5 loaves of bread and 2 fishes? it’s ironic that the argument they used for Jesus to perform more miracles was their ancestors, who had learned that God would give them just enough manna for each day.

and He is just what we need for each day now. Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. but you haven’t believed in me even though you have seen me." (john 6:35-36)

their appetites were insatiable because they weren’t eating the thing that could truly fill their souls. Jesus was asking them to move on to their next stage of development - belief in Him - but they were like caterpillars who kept eating and eating, missing out on becoming who they were created to be. they were so caught up in their pasts and limited understandings that they couldn’t grasp what was right in front of them.

don’t be like the crowds following Jesus, seeking Him, but so stuck in their disbelief that they were never satisfied. be like the caterpillars who have discovered that just enough is more than enough when it comes to becoming who they were made to be.