It Would Have Been Enough
- victoriaholloway07
- Sep 1
- 3 min read
The first time I heard about the Jewish song, the Dayenu, was during season four, episode four of the Chosen when the characters act this tradition out on screen. It’s this beautiful retelling during Passover that acknowledges the goodness and faithfulness of God in the lives of the Israelites specifically during the time of Moses. The show then later has other characters give their own personal Dayenu for their own lives, it’s a touching moment and probably my favorite from the entire series.
The traditional Dayenu goes like this…
If He had brought us out from Egypt, and had not carried out judgments against them, it would have been enough!
If He had carried out judgments against them, and not against their idols, it would have been enough!
If He had destroyed their idols, and had not smitten their first-born, it would have been enough!
If He had smitten their first-born, and had not given us their wealth, it would have been enough!
If He had given us their wealth, and had not split the sea for us, it would have been enough!
If He had split the sea for us, and had not taken us through it on dry land, it would have been enough!
If He had taken us through the sea on dry land, and had not drowned our oppressors in it, it would have been enough!
If He had drowned our oppressors in it, and had not supplied our needs in the desert for forty years, it would have been enough!
If He had supplied our needs in the desert for forty years, and had not fed us the manna, it would have been enough!
If He had fed us the manna, and had not given us the Shabbat, it would have been enough!
If He had given us the Shabbat, and had not brought us before Mount Sinai, it would have been enough!
If He had brought us before Mount Sinai, and had not given us the Torah, it would have been enough!
If He had given us the Torah, and had not brought us into the land of Israel, it would have been enough!
If He had brought us into the land of Israel, and had not built for us the Beit Habechirah (Chosen House), it would have been enough!
When you read this back now knowing that Jesus shed his blood for us on calvary, the song takes on a whole new meaning.
Through all of life’s magnificent joys and immense sorrows, there is one thing that is greater than all. God. He could’ve done nothing for us and it still would’ve been enough but especially taking the fact that He hung and died on a cross for us to live in beautiful eternity with Him is enough. Nothing good could ever happen in our lives again and it would have been enough! But we don’t serve a God who does the bare minimum for us, do we? Even though we don’t deserve His friendship, He provides for us like no other. His Grace is sufficient for me but “sufficient” is a word that can’t event begin to describe the gratitude we should have towards our Lord.
When I was in my deepest depression and grief it was impossible for me to see this, I could only see what was taken from me. The lives I had lost and the future that I dreamed of was gone too, the fight to survive was much too intense to focus on anything further especially gratitude or joy. As I have worked out some of that depression through medication and therapy, I am thankfully now able to recognize what a gift we’ve been given to live both here on earth and eternally in Heaven.
It makes me wonder what my own Dayenu would sound like should I write one. Off the top of my head it would go something like this…
If He had sent His Son to die for me, and had not provided any other joy’s in life, it would have been enough!
If He had given me a beautiful family to enjoy for 24 years, and still took half of them away, it would have been enough!
If He had provided for all my needs, and had not given me all I ever wanted, it would have been enough!
If He had given me a deep friendship with Him, and had not allowed for deep friendship on earth, it would have been enough!
If He had brought me to salvation, and not allowed the blessings to overflow, it would have been enough!
When I put my mind on gratitude for what He has done for me it allows me the freedom to enjoy life. The opposite will occur when I reflect on what is gone. To survive my days without my sister and father, I will choose to focus on what is enough!
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