An email was recently forwarded to me by my mother. I usually hate forwarded emails, but as this particular one was from my mom, I decided to sit down and take the time to read it. Here is what it said:
Recently I overheard a father and a daughter in their last moments together at the airport. They had announced the departure of her plane. Standing near the security gate, they hugged and the father said, "I love you, and I wish you enough."
The daughter replied, "Dad, our life together has been more than enough. Your love is all I ever needed. I wish you enough too, dad."
They kissed and the daughter left. The father walked over to the window where I was seated. Standing there I could see he wanted and needed to cry. I tried not to intrude on his privacy, but he welcomed me in by asking, "Did you ever say good-bye to someone knowing it would be forever?"
"Yes, I have," I replied. "Forgive me for asking, but why is this a forever goodbye?"
"I am old, and she lives so far away. I have challenges ahead and the reality is - the next trip back will be for my funeral," he said.
"When you were saying goodbye, I heard you say, 'I wish you enough.' May I ask what that means?"
He began to smile. "That's a wish that has been handed down from other generations. My parents used to say it to everyone..." He paused a moment and looked up as if trying to remember it in detail, and he smiled even more. "When we said, 'I wish you enough,' we were wanting the other person to have a life filled with just enough good things to sustain them." Then, turning toward me, he shared the following as if he were reciting it from memory.
He then began to cry and walked away.
Today has been a pretty rough week. Nothing particularly bad has happened; it's just one of those weeks when everything upsets you, everything gets to you. It happens every now and then when you're living in a foreign country. And, although you learn to deal with it and move on as soon as you can, it's always emotionally exhausting while it's happening.
What a comfort, then, to know that Jesus truly is in control. He's controlling both the good and the bad, and it will all work out for your best. So on your gloomy days, during your difficult times, when you are going through rain or pain or loss, just remember that He's giving you just enough - just enough so that you can appreciate the sun and happiness and gain all the more. This too, shall pass. Hold onto that truth, and remember, I wish you enough :).
Recently I overheard a father and a daughter in their last moments together at the airport. They had announced the departure of her plane. Standing near the security gate, they hugged and the father said, "I love you, and I wish you enough."
The daughter replied, "Dad, our life together has been more than enough. Your love is all I ever needed. I wish you enough too, dad."
They kissed and the daughter left. The father walked over to the window where I was seated. Standing there I could see he wanted and needed to cry. I tried not to intrude on his privacy, but he welcomed me in by asking, "Did you ever say good-bye to someone knowing it would be forever?"
"Yes, I have," I replied. "Forgive me for asking, but why is this a forever goodbye?"
"I am old, and she lives so far away. I have challenges ahead and the reality is - the next trip back will be for my funeral," he said.
"When you were saying goodbye, I heard you say, 'I wish you enough.' May I ask what that means?"
He began to smile. "That's a wish that has been handed down from other generations. My parents used to say it to everyone..." He paused a moment and looked up as if trying to remember it in detail, and he smiled even more. "When we said, 'I wish you enough,' we were wanting the other person to have a life filled with just enough good things to sustain them." Then, turning toward me, he shared the following as if he were reciting it from memory.
I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright, no matter how gray the day may appear.
I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun even more.
I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive and everlasting.
I wish you enough pain so that even the smallest of joys in life may appear bigger.
I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.
I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.
I wish you enough hellos to get you through the final goodbye.
He then began to cry and walked away.
Today has been a pretty rough week. Nothing particularly bad has happened; it's just one of those weeks when everything upsets you, everything gets to you. It happens every now and then when you're living in a foreign country. And, although you learn to deal with it and move on as soon as you can, it's always emotionally exhausting while it's happening.
What a comfort, then, to know that Jesus truly is in control. He's controlling both the good and the bad, and it will all work out for your best. So on your gloomy days, during your difficult times, when you are going through rain or pain or loss, just remember that He's giving you just enough - just enough so that you can appreciate the sun and happiness and gain all the more. This too, shall pass. Hold onto that truth, and remember, I wish you enough :).
John 16:16-33
16 Jesus went on to say, “In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.”
17 At this, some of his disciples said to one another, “What does he mean by saying, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me,’ and ‘Because I am going to the Father’?” 18 They kept asking, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand what he is saying.”
19 Jesus saw that they wanted to ask him about this, so he said to them, “Are you asking one another what I meant when I said, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me’? 20 Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. 21 A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. 22 So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. 23 In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.
25 “Though I have been speaking figuratively, a time is coming when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father. 26 In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. 27 No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.28 I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.”
29 Then Jesus’ disciples said, “Now you are speaking clearly and without figures of speech. 30 Now we can see that you know all things and that you do not even need to have anyone ask you questions. This makes us believe that you came from God.”
31 “Do you now believe?” Jesus replied. 32 “A time is coming and in fact has come when you will be scattered, each to your own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.
33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
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