A Personal Dayenu:

Grateful Reflections on God's Abundance

Dayenu: A Personal Reflection on God’s Abundance

Inspired to Reflect:

Recently, I watched the new episodes of The Chosen TV series, which portrays biblical events utilizing artistic interpretation.

Their Passover Seder scene (from Season 5, episode 4) captivated me. The screenwriters bookended this episode with the disciples reciting the “Traditional Dayenu” in the beginning, and the women reciting a “Jesus version of the Dayenu” at the end.

Author Note: this isn’t a discussion post on whether or not to watch The Chosen. I like to watch because it helps me to picture Jesus better as both God and man. :)

What is the Dayenu?

"The Dayenu is a traditional Jewish prayer that recalls all the gracious acts of God that ‘would have been enough’ on their own. At the end of Episode 4, Jesus’ female disciples repurpose the framework of the traditional Dayenu in order to thank Jesus for specific ways he worked in their lives that also “would have been enough.

"…Individually, any of these acts of deliverance ‘would have been enough.’ Taken together, they far outweigh anything that anyone could feel owed or entitled to - they reveal grace.

“The proper response to this grace is not only to speak words of gratitude but also to commit oneself to obeying God’s commandments, including the new commandment, ‘Just as I have loved you, you are to love one another.’ (John 13: 34, ESV).”

(written by Kevin Keating of The Bible Artist website— you can check it out HERE).

A friend also reminded me that we recited this Dayenu during a Messianic Passover celebration that my small group participated in right before Easter this year.

So, I felt moved to try my hand at writing my own (see below).

My (First Attempt) at a Personal Dayenu:

(as in, there definitely may be more! lol)

Jesus,

If you had forgiven me my sins, and not rescued me from the pit of darkness,
it would have been enough.

If you had rescued me from the pit of darkness, and not gifted me with the Holy Spirit,
it would have been enough.

If you had gifted me with the Holy Spirit, and not restored my mental health,
it would have been enough.

If you had restored my mental health, and not encouraged me through your church,
it would have been enough.

If you had encouraged me through your church, and not given me a new song of praise,
it would have been enough.

If you had given me a new song of praise, and not blessed me with a new marriage,
it would have been enough.

If you had blessed me with a new marriage, and not granted healthy children, 
it would have been enough.

If you had granted healthy children, and not provided while I was caregiving,
it would have been enough.

If you had provided while I was caregiving, and not directed my own healthcare,
it would have been enough.

If you had directed my own healthcare, and not guided me back into writing,
it would have been enough.

If you had guided me back into writing, and not given me new purpose, 
it would have been enough.

If you had given me new purpose, and not allowed me to be published,
it would have been enough.

If you allowed me to be published, and not give glory to You alone,
it would have been enough.

If you allowed me to give glory to You alone, and not done ANYTHING ELSE,
it would have been enough.

But you have done ALL of these things and more—more than all the books in all the world could ever contain, because you are and always will be…

MORE THAN ENOUGH.

Thank you, Jesus.

From His abundance, we have all received one gracious blessing after another. (John 1:16, NLT)

And thank you, lovely friends, for reading!

Kevin of The Bible Artist Blog above also provides this wonderful resource that you can download— Crafting a Community Dayenu worksheet. You can use it to guide your own writing of a personal Dayenu and/or within a group, as well as find examples of both the traditional and Jesus Dayenus used.

So, what did you think? Would you write your own personal Dayenu?

For Worship (after you’ve written your Dayenu!)

Words We’ll Sing Forever! (Seth Schlueter)

*Photo by Nevin Krcmaric on Unsplash