In no time, a sizable crowd had formed. They saw the ministry's founder and his team in an unexpected location and figured it was business as usual. Each person made calls to their friends, family, and neighbours, which caused a sizable crowd to gather. Everyone thought it was another crusade because the ministry's leader was enthusiastic about soul-winning. Actually, there was nothing to indicate it was a crusade—not even a sound system, banners, or other signs. You can see why they hoped that it was another spiritual event given the numerous miracles that God had mercifully worked through this man throughout the years. It was merely a strategy session with the leader and his team, though.

This leader was a wonderful and compassionate person. It didn't matter if there were one or a million people, he was sincerely concerned about their welfare. He noticed that the folks looked incredibly hungry. He told the throng to take a seat and prepare for lunch. Without even realizing it, this man had just gotten them into trouble. When the ushers counted the attendees, they found that there were 5,000 men in total (women and children not included). Serious trouble was brewing. Imagine returning to tell the throng that there were too many of them and that it was not possible to feed everyone. Hell was about to let loose.

The leader instructed his team to find vendors who would provide food to the crowd. He was aware that their ministry didn't receive any tithe or offerings, thus there wasn't any money to pay the bills. It undoubtedly takes a miracle to feed thousands of people without any money, and his team had personally witnessed countless miracles in the ministry. Team members left to acquire food for this mob that was getting antsier.

Finding available vendors and a viable source of funding were their two main obstacles. To pull off such an accomplishment, you'll probably need someone in the mould of Hilda Baci. Since neither the media nor the paparazzi would be present to provide live coverage, you can be certain that she won't show up. People are more interested in becoming famous than they are in setting records. After a short while, practically all of the team members returned with the same conclusion: it is impossible to feed the multitude. Their justification made sense; given the unexpected and high demand for food, they had to pay a vendor more than necessary. They urged the leader to order the crowd to disperse. If it was any solace, they also proposed that the individuals be asked to return another day, when they must have amassed sufficient funds.

Only one team member, Andy Cole (not the former Manchester United player), disagreed with the unanimous choice. He was convinced there was a solution to this problem, but he was unable to articulate it. He put all of his intentions in writing and performed every analysis he could think of, but nothing made sense. He was aware that only a heavenly intervention—the miraculous—was required if there was to be any hope of escape. He decided to take a chance because he had nothing to lose. He had witnessed far too many miracles in his leader's life to be skeptical. He only had to perform his part.

Finally, after several engagements, he located a vendor and brought him to the leader. The miracle occurred when the leader prayed. Well, explaining how a miracle occurs is not a task for a man. It's no longer a miracle if you can figure it out. The throng had plenty to eat, yet there was still plenty left over. The other team members came to Andy to inquire about how he was able to pull off such a feat after the folks had left. Some of them even thought he had racked up a sizable debt on their behalf. He dismissed all their accusations with a chuckle and told them that it was debt-free. He closed out the transaction with the vendor using their leader’s name. Nothing else!

You would anticipate Andy Cole to update his LinkedIn profile the following day and even his CV right away. You would want the entire world to be aware of any deal you mediated that fed thousands of people. In fact, you would educate us on how to broker deals for a full week. Your shoulders won't be the same anymore. Andy, though, wasn't one of those people that you can find on LinkedIn. He carried on with his life as if nothing had happened. He had accomplished amazing things before; he was the talent manager who had located and hired one of the team's biggest players. He was aware of his status as one of the most significant members of the ministry, but he refrained from letting it consume him. He was a modest and humble individual. He knew everything he achieved was by God’s grace and mercies.

Article is culled from Andrew’s role in the story of the boy with five loaves and two fishes (Mark 6:30-44).