dayenu

If you’ve spent any time with me over the last several years, you’ll know that our family are big fans of The Chosen, a series that depicts Jesus's life through the eyes of the people who interacted with him, namely His apostles and disciples, Jewish religious leaders, Roman government and military officials, and ordinary people. The fifth season was released in March of last year and depicts the final week of Jesus’ life. Before each season shows up on Prime, it’s released – in three parts – in the theater and that particular season was the only one that Michael, Daniel and a I saw on the big screen. It was also the last time Michael went to the movies, as we lost him 4 months later.

Because the season is titled The Last Supper, there are specific elements of the Passover meal that Jesus has with his apostles shown throughout the season, specifically, the Dayenu. If you’re not familiar, the Dayenu is a traditional Jewish song sung during the Passover Seder. The word itself means:

"It would have been enough."

or

"It would have sufficed."

The song recounts a series of things God did for the Israelites during the Exodus from Egypt. After each blessing or act of deliverance, the people respond with, “Dayenu!”

"It would have been enough!"

For example:

• If God had brought us out of Egypt, but not split the Red Sea...
  Dayenu!

• If He had split the Red Sea, but not fed us in the wilderness...
  Dayenu!

• If He had fed us in the wilderness, but not given us the Torah...
  Dayenu!

The idea isn't that the Israelites literally would have been satisfied with less. Rather, it's an exercise in gratitude and wonder. Each individual act of God's provision was so incredible, so extraordinary that it would have been worthy of thanksgiving all by itself. It would have been enough.

In episode 4 of this season, not only do Jesus and his apostles recite the Dayenu during the Passover Seder, a separate Dayenu is presented to Jesus by the women in his ministry and it's both personal and beautiful. For example, "If you'd only healed Mary of Magdala of her demons and not healed my mother, it would have been enough," "If you'd only healed Eden's mother and not called Simon Peter, it would have been enough," "If you'd only called Simon Peter and not raised my brother, it would have been enough."

I cried the first time I saw this part of the episode, and I still get choked up every time I’ve watched it since – which is a lot. But since I saw it that first time, I’ve wanted to create a Dayenu of my own and, what follows, is my attempt at doing so.

If You had only seen the scared little girl that I was and not stayed with me, it would have been enough.

If You had only stayed with me and not carried me through a broken childhood, it would have been enough.

If You had only carried me through a broken childhood and not given me the gift of becoming a wife, it would have been enough.

If You had only brought Jeff into my life and not given me 10 years as his wife, it would have been enough.

If You had only given me ten years with Jeff and not blessed us Jack and Evan, it would have been enough.

If You had only given me Jack and Evan and not taught me how fiercely a heart can love, it would have been enough.

If You had only shown me how fiercely a heart can love and not carried me through losing their father, it would have been enough.

If You had only carried me through widowhood and not brought Michael into my life, it would have been enough.

If You had only taught us how to fight for our marriage when we were ready to end it and not allowed us to see Your faithfulness in the healing of it, it would have been enough.

If You had only blessed us with Daniel and not given me twenty-three years beside Michael it would have been enough.

If You had only given me twenty-three years with Michael and not walked beside me through losing another husband, it would have been enough.

If you had only walked beside me through Michael's illness and not allowed me to hold his hand as he entered eternity, it would have been enough.

If You had only carried me through his death and not surrounded me with Your ravens in my wilderness, it would have been enough.

If You had only sent Your ravens and not provided a home for Daniel and me, it would have been enough.

If You had only provided a home and not given me the privilege of caring for my mother in this season of her life, it would have been enough.

If You had only sustained me while I waited and not opened a door for meaningful work, it would have been enough.

If You had only opened the door for work and not reminded me that You had been preparing it long before I ever knew I would need it, it would have been enough.

If You had only seen me, Lord, and not loved me, it would have been enough.

If You had only loved me and not saved me, it would have been enough.

If You had only saved me and not promised to one day, make all things new, it would have been enough.

If, after reading this, you're curious about writing your own, I encourage you to do so. Sometimes we become so focused on what we're still waiting for that we forget to remember all the ways God has already shown up in our lives. Looking back, you may discover a kind of… chronology of grace, if you will, that you hadn't noticed before.