You Would Have Been Enough

When I moved to China, I fully anticipated remaining in my English bubble. Glancing over those terrifying characters, I felt immediately that I would never be able to make sense of what appeared to be an intricate system of squiggles (Admittedly, over one billion people speak this language, so its not quite as unintelligible as I first thought). But it didn’t take me long to fall in love with the beautiful pictures their words painted. Unexpectedly, the idea of language and words began to capture my heart. Our morning Isaiah study revealed incredible nuances to me as well…how I have wished I took the odd Greek or Hebrew course at university…there is so much more to be found within each sentence than I ever thought possible! Words like 阿巴父 (Aba Fu), 道 (Dao), Abba, Nazar, Veritas…the power of language hit me in a way it never had before. And then, dear YiChang Beth (whose blogs are a constant source of inspiration and piracy to me) posted a note about a word. A fellow closet linguist! When I saw her post and studied the word, I felt there could be no better expression to sum up my first ten months in China.

The word is Dayenu. "Day" in Hebrew means "enough" and "Enu" means "our." The word Dayenu (:דַּיֵּנוּ) means, "it would have been enough for us" or "it would have sufficed." It is used in a traditional Passover song that talks about being grateful to God for all of the gifts he gave the Jewish people. It basically states, had God only given one of the gifts, it would have still been enough. The song appears in the haggadah after the telling of the story of the exodus and just before the explanation of Passover. Here is an excerpt: If He had split the sea for us, and had not taken us through it on dry land — Dayenu, it would have sufficed! If He had taken us through the sea on dry land, and had not drowned our oppressors in it— Dayenu, it would have sufficed! If He had drowned our oppressors in it, and had not supplied our needs in the desert for forty years — Dayenu, it would have sufficed!

I feel like there are no more words…Dayenu Father, Dayenu. How He took care of me! I wish I had time to dive into a list of all the ways he wiped away my fears within my first few days in this country, how He worked His wonders right in front of my face while I was too busy looking elsewhere, or the countless blessings He heaped upon my heart in the strangest of ways. Dayenu Father, Dayenu. YOU would have been enough…yet you gave me a hundred other people to love, to call brother and sister. The life that other’s expected of me, or that I had planned for myself, would have been enough…but you had something so much greater planned. Seeing one person open their heart, abandon themselves and turn to you would have been enough…yet you had so many more to bring into your kingdom - you allowed me to witness it – play a part in it. Being the lowliest servant in your courts would have been enough…Dayenu…but you made me the daughter of the King.

If there had been no beautiful mountains, no classrooms full of endearing students, no exotic places to explore, no incredible dishes to eat around tables with friends…Dayenu. If there had been no songs lifted up to heaven in the blending of many tongues…Dayenu. If there had been no Angelyn and Brian, no Zoe and Dacy, no kindred spirits…Dayenu. You brought me to this place, this country, with no expectations but that you were going with me. The knowledge that you were here…Dayenu. But like the doting Abba that you are, you chose to give me more than I could have imagined or asked for. This year, with its highs and lows, still ended with your child coming to what should not be a startling realization. Her Father longs to bless her. You have, Abba…but may I never spend so much time focusing on those blessings that I forget you are DAYENU, my enough.