It's one of the realities of school life in 2014 - We have several students with food allergies. One of the third grade boys is allergic to gluten. I am too, so I am very sympathetic. His parents arranged to bring g-free muffins and donuts in and put them in our freezer. That way if someone in his class has party or brings treats he won't be left out. They arrived with a big bag of deliciousness and on their way to the kitchen, handed me a fresh loaf of g-free rye bread.
Rewind. I have always been a sandwich girl. Put it between two pieces of bread and I am happy. Gluten intolerance and carb watching have put an enormous dent in my joy. Once in a blue moon I will make a Udi's bread sandwich and feel content.
But this rye bread was exceptional. It had that rye-ie smell. It had the little rye seeds. It was soft and promised delicious sandwiches. I stopped at the store on the way home and bought sharp cheddar cheese, a cucumber and two tomatoes. I swooned. I had sandwiches for breakfast, for lunch and for dinner. With every bite I thought "If this was the only food in the world, it would be enough."
And every time I said that it reminded me of a paragraph from Naked Spirituality. Finally I got the book out and found this quote.
There is a Hebrew word. Dayenu. The word is from a Jewish song that has been a key part of the passover celebration for over a thousand years. It means, "It would have been enough," and it functions within the retelling of the story of God's goodness over the generations:
If God had brought us out of Egypt, Dayenu - it would have been enough.
If God had split the sea for us, Dayenu-it would have been enough.
If God had led us through on dry land, Dayenu -it would have been enough.
If God had provided for our needs in the wilderness for forty years, Dayenu - it would have been enough.
If God had fed us manna, Dayenu -it would have been enough
If God had given us Shabbat, Dayenu - it would have been enough.
Singing this song fills one with a sense of surplus, of being superabundantly blessed, of being saturated with good things, of one's cup being full and running over. And it fills one with a corresponding appreciation of God's unlimited generosity: Dayenu-but there's more! Dayenu but there's more! and more, and more! Thanks be to God!" Naked Spirituality Brian BcLaren
I love the spirit of gratitude that seems to be growing. I see gratitude lists on facebook, and books on gratitude continue to be published.
I will add a few from my list.
My three boys. Healthy and happy.
My phone, which keeps me connected, at the touch of a button, to my faraway family
Weekends. And the God who invented Sabbath.
My 205,000 mile car which is still limping along.
My cozy house
My high styling office (thank you Angela. That's a whole 'nother post....)
And the genius baker who made G-free rye bread. Dayenu!
The greatest deception men suffer is from their own opinions. Leonardo da Vinci.
I don't think of myself as an opinionated person. I'm a peace-loving phlegmatic ENFJ 9. When people start raging on politics or painting team colors on their faces or going into debt for a certain kind of car, I'm baffled. What is worth that much angst? I am amused hearing Steve passionately discuss the merits of the pedaling kayak. When Jake and Josh argue about McDonald's french fries vs. Sonic, I have nothing to add.
But then I remember that I could wax eloquent on why Ben and Jerry's Heath Bar Coffee ice cream is the best in the world. I am very decided on the certainty of the Loch Ness Monster. I feel my blood pressure rise when contemporary worship is debated. I could tell you a thing or two about exceptional weddings and the need for chaplains in hospice.
So maybe I am opinionated. I asked my husband, who can always be trusted for a truthful answer. He thought about it for a while and said "It's hard to separate bossiness with being opinionated. But I'd say you have the right number of opinions. " Hummm. I actually do have a few opinions on why I might be bossy.....
One of the strangest parts of my new job is the amount of opinions I am supposed to have. And how quickly I am supposed to form them.
Do I want the bell choir to wear tux shirts or white polos?
Should we retill the mulch or order more?
Can the lunch tables stay up during band?
Do we want to install a keyless entry system?
Is it ok to serve cotton candy at the fall festival?
Should 5 or 7 tardies by the limit?
Can girls wear scarfs on cold days?
What color should our new kickballs be?
How do I feel about number 2 pencils?
I don't! No opinions. Make your own decision and then tell me about it. Don't care.
But I have to. It's my job. Not only to form opinions but to follow through. To learn to care and figure out how it will affect or help people, to make decisions.
Ernest Renan once said "Our opinions become fixed at the point where we stop thinking." That's probably often true. But I'm realizing there is a difference between having opinions and being opinionated. I'm learning to ask better questions, listen more carefully and then engage in the discussion and provide direction. I'm learning to have resonable, flexible answers.
By the way, I think our new kickballs should be red. This year anyway.
