I am enough

Which of us, on beginning to dig beneath the surface of our life, does not discover at least some level of discontentment regarding our existence? In fact, that is the reason why we often prefer to tiptoe around our daily lives and not stop to think too much.  

Some say, “It’s bad to think.” More so, I suppose, when one might discvoer some things which are not too pleasing…

Even those of us who are relatively well off, even in the midst of the difficult moments we go through are often, if not disappointed, still aspiring to something more.  I’m not referring just to spiritual aspirations because they’re not the most common kind and I don’t believe that we’re at risk of excess in that area.  On the contrary, we could probably do with having more such aspirations.

Nor am I thinking only about material blessings.  Sometimes the aspirations may be unrealised dreams, parts of which we have received, but not necessarily in the way that we would have liked or have hoped for. They may be disappointments that accumulate deep in our soul because we still don’t understand why a request that seems so “obviously holy,” like that one we are asking the Lord for, hasn’t been answered in the way that we would have liked.

Even when many of these requests are brought before the Lord with humility and a sincere desire for His will to be done in everything, sometimes, while not reaching the level of disappointment or rebellion, we are left with a level of incomprehension that forces us (unless, as we said in the beginning, we get down on our knees) to face the point of today’s reflection: He and what He gives to us, how He gives it and His timing in doing so, is always enough.

God, in some way, says to us through each of those circumstances, “I am enough.”

Because when we’re facing a difficult situation, or at least something that feels “incomplete” according to what we consider reasonable, adequate or desirable, even when it seems that none of these things that we aspire to would be negative, but rather positive, what God gives us is not just something.  It’s someone.

He gives Himself in the middle of that circumstance (or instead of what we ask for) so that we understand that it is He that we must aspire to.  It’s in those moments in which we perceive something to be lacking, or we have an unfulfilled desire, it’s in the time of draught, or of incomprehension or of waiting, that we find Him in a more personal way.  That is our true gift, “I am enough”. “You have me.  Can you really aspire to something more when I myself accompany you and provide for you, when I give you my promises and I guarantee you that what I give you is enough?”

Our heart always seems to be searching for something more than what we have.  And God, as I understand it, always reminds us that we don’t need anything more than what He, in His grace, has given us. 

What we desire, so many times, separates us from God. Or it would separate us if the time arrived, even if we don’t see that now.  Or it wouldn’t allow us to know him deeply enough, because it would distract us. Or simply, it doesn’t correspond exactly with what He wants for us, because His will always exceeds anything that we could ask for or understand.

To find, within every apparent lack, the opportunity for a new encounter with the creator, the wonderful power to discover in Him, who is our “everything,” that nothing outside of Him could ever supply the goodness of His grace and generosity with us, is more than we will ever be capable of asking for. Because that’s where we truly grow, where we encounter him to know him more deeply and to understand, at last, with the perspective of time, how much he saved us from by not responding affirmatively to our pleas. 

His will is enough.  His grace is enough.  His person is enough and His work in us, above our own aspirations, will always be greater than we can understand or ask for.