She had promised to bring chili to the church dinner to feed her neighbors. But it was the end of the month and she didn’t have much in her cupboards. She had even less in her bank account.

But she did have two large sweet potatoes, four cans of beans and two cans of crushed tomatoes. She peeled and chopped the sweet potatoes, mixed them with the beans, tomatoes and spices. When it was cooked through, she had created a delicious, warm meal to feed a half-dozen hungry souls.

The story of Jesus feeding the five thousand with two fish and five loaves took on new meaning for her as she realized that the real miracle that Jesus performed that day wasn’t the multiplication of food, but love.

Have you ever come to the end of the month and discovered you had little food in your refrigerator and even less money in your bank account? I have. In past years, more than one month-end found my cupboards bare. Perhaps that’s why I find food insecurity in our community, especially among children, a need that speaks to my heart.

To live in our mountain community is a privilege. To be surrounded by natural beauty and a caring community is a blessing. What could make it better? To live in a community where no child goes to bed hungry or wakes up and goes to school without breakfast.

During this season of Lent, we are called to almsgiving, which asks us to obey Jesus Christ’s command that we love our neighbors as we love ourselves. I can’t think of anything that embodies that more than making sure our neighbors have food in their cupboards.