The Multiplication of Beets

two girls harvesting vegetables in the garden
Some of the children helping harvest vegetable from the garden at the Lord’s Food Bank in Juarez.

Each week people come to the Lord’s Food Bank to receive food for their families. We distribute staples like beans, rice, potatoes, and tortillas, and always try to include some vegetables. We have started gardens at our two main centers in Juarez, Mexico, and the produce that comes from these gardens is added to the weekly groceries that we give.

Recently on a Friday, when we usually have about 70 families come to get food, the Lord did a marvelous thing. We had harvested beets that day from the garden and one of our helpers, Chuy, brought them over to where we distribute the food. He told Ramona, who oversees the Food Bank, “There’s never going to be enough for everybody.” She told him, “Just give them out until you run out. I have a box of cilantro in the back which we can give to those who don’t receive the beets.”

garden with wooden cross in middle
The garden at the Food Bank.

So Chuy gave out two beets per person who came through the distribution line. He kept bending down, grabbing two beets, and putting them in the box or bag that the person held out to him. He did this over and over again, waiting for his beet supply to finish. But it never did! Some people even came back after the line finished, and asked, “Can I please have just one more beet?” since they could see more in the box. And Chuy gave out more.

Not only that, but one of the cooks in the Food Bank kitchen had asked for a bunch to be reserved so that they could make a beet salad for lunch. We had told her there wouldn’t be enough for that, but after all 70+ families had received beets, there was enough left over for the cooks to make the beet salad too. Praise God!