A thru Z: E is for Enough

E is for Enough

He is enough.

I have enough.

It is enough.

For weeks now, I've been pondering what E is really for. That's only after I realized I practically missed E on my way to writing about F. I'm not sure what caused me to realized my oversight, but ever since I've been asking the Lord what on earth E really stands for?

Is E for Elisa, I thought and thought? Sure I could write about myself and all that the Lord has been teaching me over these past few months. But each time I tried to craft a sentence, not one word would stutter from my mind.

Maybe E is for Emily, one of my most precious friends. Yes, I could write about her creativity, wisdom, go-getter attitude, and the many, many ways she inspires me as a women of God, daughter of the King, and mother to treasures here on this earth!

Wait, I decided. E must be for Extravagant! Yes, I'll write about God's extravagant grace. No. No words once again.

Then a flurry of E's came across my path. E is for East, as far as it is from the west, so shall He remove our sins from us. E is for Education and the privilege of receiving one and offering one to our children. E is for Everlasting God, the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the... E is for End, and the Lord knows all, from the very first day until the very last.

Then, it finally came to me. E is for Enough for a whole lot of reasons.

He is enough. He, being Jesus, of course, is enough. He is all I need. He is the author and perfecter of my faith. He is the One that redeems my sin. He is the Lord that saves my soul and provides a place for me in eternity (yet another E).

I have enough. I have all that I need. Food. Clothing. A warm and cozy home. Space. Freedom. Intelligence. Heart. Grace. Money. Interests. Friends. Family. You name it. I have just the right amount: enough. Perfectly planned by my God, in exactly His timing, with exactly His purpose. It may not be all that I want, but it is all that I need, and luxuriously more, in this earthly dwelling. (Wait, maybe that means E is also for Exactly and Earthly!)

It is enough. Enough, Elisa. These were the words my parents begged of me throughout my childhood, usually because I was going on and on about some saga taking place in my life. I came to hate those words, feeling like what I had to say didn't matter. I just wanted to be heard! What I didn't realize, until becoming a parent, is that my timing, intensity, and overwhelming drama was just too much for my parents. My poor folks were tapped out emotionally and physically. While my stories were of the utmost important to me, it was just mindless chatter to them. Oh, the hours of painful conversations I put them through, never once considering whether it was a good time to talk or how they were doing. I was a child, completely self-absorbed, and unfortunately my need to be heard was unknowingly misunderstood.

The result of hearing "Elisa, enough..." enough times, eventually led me to believe that there was something wrong with me; that I was just "too much." I started finding ways to be less of me, so that I wouldn't be too much for others. But the result was that I began to lose myself in an effort to be someone else. I fumbled over my words telling stories, so I stopped telling stories. I changed my behavior and interests to try to fit into the crowd. No matter what the fad, I was on a mission to make it my own in order to blend right in. In the process, I lost myself, my identity, and my purpose. I also developed an unhealthy habit of believing that "just that one more thing..." would be enough. In my constant search to fit in, be accepted, and be heard, I became discontented with everything.

Isn't it ironic? Enough, by definition means, "in a quantity or degree that answers a purpose or satisfies a need or desire; sufficiently...", yet that is exactly what I believed I didn't have and would never be...until now. Through the process of searching for what E really stands for, I heard the still small voice of the Lord whisper to my heart,

Elisa, you are enough. Everything I've made you to be is perfectly enough for me. Elisa, I am enough. All you ever need, you will find in me, as you grow in your relationship with me and continue to return to the cross for the grace, mercy, and love I offer you. Elisa, It is enough. You don't need anything else. Stop, my dear one. You don't need a bigger house. You don't need more money. You don't need more clothes, more time, or more energy. You have enough. Enjoy it. Use it. Be kind to it. Appreciate it. It is enough, because I am enough.

The Lord used weeks of studying Scripture and coming before Him about all these worries on my heart to speak this truth into my life. E is for Enough. In Him we have enough.

Philippians 4:19
And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

Acts 14:17
Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for meeting me in the deepest part of my soul. You brought light to the darkness and caste out the lies that have held me captive for years. Thank you for the freedom to live knowing that You are enough. I love you, Lord.

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