ENOUGH - Part 1

Today I headed to a church contingency meeting to help prepare and serve 800 box lunches.  What a lot of food!  Everyone had one egg salad roll - which was made with no egg and tasted incredible, compliments to our truly talented vegan cook - a bag of Sunchips, a bag of babby carrots, and a Kaprisun to wash it down.  For me this didn't cut it.  My total intake for the day sits at about six egg salad rolls, four bags of Sunchips, one bag of babby carrots, and five Kaprisuns.  One box is just not enough.

During the meeting I would occasionally peek out of the kitchen to watch the meeting in progress.  Church leaders from all of California sat as a speaker talked while numbers flashing up on the screen.  $15 million grabbed my attention.  This money was raised to help with church projects including construction, renovations, and church schools.  It was then addressed that more money was needed.  $15 million is just not enough.

One of the guys working here has developed a hobby with crocheting.  I used to think that only bored old ladies did this until I saw him at work.  He has made many warm and stylish beanies, scarves, and other paraphernalia that I wish I knew how to make for myself as the winter weather is rolling in.  I was quite excited when he kindly offered to teach me the ways of yarn-thrashing (sounds more manly...).  After our food service, we hit up a couple of fabric stores and browsed the aisles of options.  I gazed at the array of endless colors - brown, gray, black, green, orange, periwinkle, mustard (ehhm... I mean blue, yellow...), and contemplated what color I wanted for my first homemade beanie.  Finally I found just the right manly yarn - multiple shades of brown interspersed with black.  Turning to my new yarn-thrashing tutor I observed, "This is not as big of a roll as the rest.  Do you think it will make a whole beanie?"  As he contemplated, a kind woman, quick to help two out of place amateurs, peeked her head around from the aisle and said, "I couldn't help but overhear.  Let me see what you have...  Ah, that will most DEFINITELY not be enough for a full hat.  You need more."  In frustration I threw the yarn back on the shelf muttering, "Well I sure ain't gonna buy two with that price tag.  I can buy a beanie someone else made for $16!"  The single roll of yarn is just not enough.

After yarn shopping was over we made the ninety-minute drive back to camp.  As we pulled up the drive into Wawona I decided that I needed to burn off some of those non-egg salad rolls.  Usually I have to really push myself to get out running but tonight I couldn't get my new running shoes on fast enough!  Excited to end the day with some fresh air and excise I set out to the trail following the river.  I figured I would follow the trail for a few miles and head back.  One mile.  Turns out that was about all I was getting.  I had unsuccessfully predicted that the trail would continue well beyond where I had previously taken it.  I was wrong.  Before long it ended in a pile of wet moss-infested granite.  In defiance I jumped onto the granite with my sights set forward and in concert my feet hit the rock followed by my butt.  With displeasure and defeat I turned around and trotted back towards camp.  Man, one mile is just not enough.
   
As I made the final turn towards camp away from the river I stopped.  I listened hearing only my breathing and the sound of the water kissing the rocks.  Looking around I gazed up at the towering pines silhouetted by the days last beams of light.  I walked towards the bank and quietly sat down on a stump overlooking the river. Reaching below me I closed my eyes and traced my fingers down the sides of the bark reaching them into the cool earth.  With a few deep breaths, I drew in the cool evening air scented by pine needles and wet soil.  As I opened my eyes a single word popped into my head - enough.  Quietly I repeated the word, "enough...enough...enough...," creating a sort of mantra.  Finally I breathed a quick prayer ending with a resounding shout, "God...You...are...ENOUGH!"