When is Enough, Enough?

Image: 5th century mosaic from the Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes in Tabgha, Israel

I recently had the privilege of participating in a pilgrimage to Israel. Our journey began on the Sea of Galilee with visits to various holy sites, one being the Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes in Tabgha, believed to be the place where Jesus fed 5000 followers with five loaves and two fish. I found myself reflecting on what this might have been like for those feeling compelled to hear Jesus, and how their hunger for something they could not define kept them long enough to feel a gnawing in their belly, but so transfixed they could not leave for the nearest McDonald’s.

One thought kept surfacing during my quiet times – when is enough, enough? What does enough feel like? I sat with this long enough to find myself connecting with the hunger I was feeling, hunger in my body and hunger in my soul. The following is the answer I received. I share this with you as an invitation to ask yourself – when is enough, enough.

I Am the Banquet of Your Life

I have spread before you all things essential for your wellbeing. Each course contains all the ingredients you need to prepare a meal that will nourish you and others.

The morning meal breaks the fast of night and is a welcoming time of mutual love.

At noon I ask you to pause, take time to reflect on the morning and prepare for the rest of the day. Through you, I touch the lives of all you turn your attention to.

At the end of the day, I call you to step away from all the sensations of the day. Leave them with me, knowing I will hold them in my loving care, as I hold you. Take off the day and put on relaxation. Take time outdoors and notice how I have prepared a sensual feast for your pleasure.

As you prepare for your night’s rest, may your last awareness be of gratitude, for I am grateful for you my child.

Continue to seek me with the banquet of your love, all your days and nights, for I am in you, delighting in you, loving you, and calling you to a deeper relationship with me.

Do not be afraid of what the future holds, for I am there, as I am here, preparing the banquet of your life.
Joyce Vidal-Thornburg, July 2018