What holds us back from sharing?
Written by Melanie Beerda
The heat from the July sun was fierce. With no wind coming off the lake, the humidity was like a pillow pressing in from all sides. I sat on the deck of the cabin, listening to the waves lapping up on shore while also trying to pray. In my heart was a tug-a-war of wanting to share the gospel with others while unsure of how to take effective action.
A door creaked, breaking my focus. I looked up to see my aunt gracefully walking down the path between our cabins. In her hands she cradled a fresh loaf of sourdough bread, a gift that stirred joy in me. I felt her smile resonate within me.
God used my aunt to break through my struggle by showing me her servant heart. The lesson I learned was that God is inviting us to step outside our daily routines and encounter those around us, even by something as simple as giving a loaf of bread—and that God’s power can enliven those circumstances.
God used my aunt to break through my struggle by showing me her servant heart.
Think of the day after Jesus had fed the five thousand with loaves of bread and fish that had been multiplied. Jesus said to the crowd, “Truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate the loaves and were filled. Don’t work for the food that perishes but for the food that lasts for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set his seal of approval on him” (John 6:26-27).
This encounter is an example of how sharing something simple like food can lead to deeper conversations. The crowd, although curious about what Jesus was teaching, were more focused on how he fed them bread and fish. Jesus used that excitement to invite them to consider their own deeper spiritual needs.
When we look around ourselves today in Canada, we see our communities are in a season of starvation of the truth. We know Jesus has the power to multiply physical loaves of bread. How much more does he have the power to use even our most feeble efforts, such as giving a loaf of home-baked bread to a neighbour, to turn into sharing the Bread of Life with them?
The impact my aunt had on me inspired me to pull out the sourdough starter that had been held hostage in the back of my fridge and to begin the process of bringing it to life. More than that, she inspired me to be bold in sharing the gospel—and to do so without pressuring myself to race ahead of the Spirit but rather to walk where the Spirit leads.
I am now convinced that a simple gesture of kindness like giving a warm loaf of sourdough can break the ice and invite deeper conversations about the food that lasts for eternity.
A single loaf can go a long way when the Spirit of God moves—just ask the five thousand.
Melanie Beerda is a writer and speaker located on the West Coast of Canada. She is the founder of Rekindled Faith Ministries. You can find out more on Instagram.