We Are Enough

As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. 

1 Samuel 18:1

“by this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

John 13:35

A little over a year ago when we made our now annual trip to the Monticello Care Center to deliver tied fleece blankets to the residents, I was walking down the hall to check on groups of kids and parents snapping some pictures along the way. As I was passing by a room, I saw a woman just beaming as she looked at the blanket, carefully examining the ties the Sunday school children and our helpers had made only a few weeks earlier. She smiled as much as the kids did with pride over what they had done. I stopped, asked her if I could take her picture and then chatted with her for a bit. Soon the room was filled with a group of children, and she was telling them stories and the children were all ears. Since then I have returned many times with my son to pass the time with Eva, with my family on Christmas day and now another young man accompanies us at times. Only once has Eva ever had a request when we ask her if we can bring her anything at our next visit, and when we did, upon our leaving for the day we asked if there was anything we could bring her next time and she simply replied “no, just come. Just come.”

What a beautiful reminder that we are enough. No bells, whistles, and gifts are needed, we are enough. Why do we assign such value to what we can bring or do? WE ARE ENOUGH. All that Eva longs for is for her heart and soul to be knit together with another, a connection, someone to talk about the weather, someone to listen to her war stories (she reached the rank of Captain as a nurse in World War II!) someone to touch her hand, hug her and someone to share their stories with her. Our time, attention and love are the most precious gifts we have been given and can give to others, we are enough.

Prayer: Gracious God, we live in such a hurried world in which obtaining, achieving and consumption are often what we desire. Helps us to remember that WE ARE ENOUGH, our time and ourselves are the most cherished gifts given. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.