Hello! This piece is based off of John 6:1-13. I have included a number of quotes, but the boy's thoughts and his dialogue with Andrew are not historically based.
Oh, and just as a side note, the name I've chosen for the boy, Nadav, means "a generous one" in Hebrew according to baby-names./search/Nadav.html.
I hope you enjoy! God bless.
Bluebonnet
Just a Small Gift
Nadav looked around hesitantly as he followed the disciple named Andrew through the large crowd to the front. He was starting to doubt whether he should have offered his food or not. All he had were five small loaves of bread and two small fish. Why, they were hardly enough for him, a small but growing boy! They will laugh at you, nagged the little voice within his head. You will only end up humiliating yourself in front of the Teacher. Discouraged, Nadav stopped and turned around. As he started to head back to where his older brother waited, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned and looked up to see Andrew, one of the Teacher's followers, smiling kindly down at him. Andrew must have known what the boy was thinking, because the man squeezed his shoulder reassuringly and looked back toward the group of disciples surrounding Jesus.
"Have faith in Him," Andrew said quietly, "Let him decide the worth of your gift."
Nadav took a deep breath and nodded. Andrew smiled and continued to lead the way to the front.
As they approached the small group, the boy overheard bits of a conversation between the Teacher and another disciple.
"Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?" the Teacher asked. Nadav tilted his head. The Teacher didn't sound at all worried; something in his voice made it sound as if he already knew.
The disciple Philip answered, "Eight months' wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!"
At that moment, Andrew stepped forward and spoke up, "Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish," he again squeezed the boy's shoulder reassuringly, "but how far will they go among so many?"
The young boy looked nervously at the Teacher and braced himself to be humiliated. But instead of mocking him, Jesus came over and knelt on one knee before the boy, resting a strong but gentle hand on Nadav's shoulder.
Nadav was speechless. The Teacher's eyes were so full of warmth and love that it made the boy want to laugh out loud with joy.
Grinning as he watched a wide smile spread across the boy's face , Jesus spoke over his shoulder to the disciples, "Have the people sit down."
The boy looked questioningly at Jesus who merely smiled at him. There was, however, a twinkle in the Teacher's eyes that seemed to say, "Just wait and see."
"And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children." Matthew 14:19-21