Bring What You Have

Learning to trust that your daily offering is enough

Oct 10, 2025

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Photo by me at @these_silient_stories on Instagram

It’s Friday. I didn’t post on Monday this week because I didn’t have it in me. At the same time, I had so much going on within me. I still do.

For over a month now, my body has been bent under the pain of a pinched nerve in my neck. A literal pain in the neck. Progress has been steady but slow. And I’m once again reminded I’m not always a fan of slow. The pain isn’t breaking me anymore, but by early evening, I don’t have much to give. I think I’ve cooked maybe two meals in the last few weeks.

I’m so grateful for my family, capable in the kitchen and kind in their care, who’ve stepped in to fill the gap. Still, this season has brought frustration and a few tears. I’m human.

And I don’t say that as an apology, but as an affirmation: I do get to be human.

Holy Right Sizing

Somewhere along the way, a quiet release has surfaced. My spiritual director named it Holy Right Sizing.

When I reach my capacity, I stop. Sometimes that looks like lying flat on the floor to ease the weight on my neck. And then something almost mysterious happens. My body takes a deep, unforced breath. My muscles loosen. My chest expands.

A gentle thought emerges:

“I brought what I had today. And that’s enough.”

It’s not a mantra I’m trying to believe or a negative thought I’m pushing away. It simply arrives like grace.

Limits and Comparison

Of course, I still have moments of frustration, watching my family pick up the slack, feeling like I’m always behind. But those feelings pass. I know I’ve shown up with what I have.

And that awareness is spilling into other areas of my life: the way I show up in faith spaces, in justice work, in everyday rhythms.

Comparison is an easy trap, measuring who’s “doing more,” who’s “really down for the cause.” But that kind of inner tug-of-war is exhausting.

Right now, my body has limits. Those limits ripple out into my mental and emotional space, too. I’m nobody’s hero, pushing myself to breaking. And I’m certainly not here to prove my worth by keeping pace with someone else climbing their metaphorical mountain.

Trusting Today’s Manna

What I’m learning through age, mentors, and the hard knocks of life is that God’s invitation is much gentler.

Like the Israelites gathering manna each day, I’m invited to trust God with what I have right now.

“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day.’” Exodus 16:4a

Like the boy with the basket of bread and fish, I’m invited to bring my lunch and place it in His hands.

“Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” John 6:9

This little Substack is part of that lunch. I don’t have thousands of subscribers… not even hundreds. I think I have less than 50. But this is what I have, and that is enough.

Realignment of Perspective

This pinched nerve has been an unwanted but faithful teacher. It’s continued the process of stripping away the illusion that my worth is measured by volume, visibility, or output.

My role in justice work and faith communities may seem small when stacked against someone else’s resume. But that’s not the point. This is what I have, and it matters.

Imagine if more of us trusted that.
Imagine if more of us offered what we have without the crushing weight of comparison. Maybe fewer of us would burn out trying to carry the world on our backs.

Because the truth is… the world is heavy. There’s more pain, anger, and need than one person can hold. But we were never meant to hold it alone.

We were meant to bring our portion, offer it in love, and trust the Giver to multiply it.

A Closing Blessing

May you bring what you have, no more, no less,
and place it in the hands of the One who multiplies.
May the daily manna be enough for today,
and may grace meet you in the space between your limits and God’s abundance.