This week, Volunteer U is proud to share a post by one of our very first graduates: Delilah McKay! Delilah attended one of our early classes and gave us great feedback about what we could improve and what she liked about the class. A gifted communicator, Delilah can be found teaching Sunday School, speaking at Women’s Conferences and serving anywhere needed at her local church. Enjoy!

When is enough actually enough?

Enough, in verb form, according to the Webster dictionary is “in or to a degree or quantity that satisfies or that is sufficient or necessary for satisfaction.”

So I ask, do you fill the cup to the brim or keep pouring until it pours over the sides to the table?

When the server says “Tell me when” do you let the cheese sprinkle perfectly on your every ravioli, then say “When!” or is your “when” after there is a thick coat layered on your plate, enough to rename your plate “cheese with ravioli?”

Enough is subjective. It can be subjected to your perspective. What if it can be an objective? An aim. Something we strive toward. My question is…What is ENOUGH for you?

My enough lies in contentment.

Please do not misunderstand, when I say contentment, I don’t mean complacency. It’s not a matter of staying stuck, or not striving for better. But better is future focused. Let’s stew on the NOW.

Again, what is ENOUGH? Is the cellphone in your hand enough, or are you already looking for the next generation of technology? Is your touch screen laptop good enough? What about your large screen television? Is it big enough? New enough?

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about what is enough for me. Usually, I am content with a cup filled with my favorite drink about an inch to the brim. I enjoy just enough cheese to have a thin layer for each of my ravioli.

I have had a lot of money and I have had less than zero, so my account turned red. I’ve laughed at things that made me cry, and I’ve experienced the loss of someone so dear to me that grieving was a confusing emotion.

In all these things, I questioned, why the need to waste the precious time we have in striving for more material things? Why is it so hard for us to realize that what we have in front of us is actually good enough for us?

So, how much is enough for you? Does the lack of boundaries in the lives of others intimidate your contentment? Do you need more? Do you feel a need to keep up with those around you?

I’ve lived for 27 years, and I have come to realize that life can be challenging, but if you believe in Jesus you have someone stronger holding on to you. If you believe in someone greater than you, you tend to have a different perspective.

The overflowing cup then becomes more than enough. Your favorite drink to the brim is satisfying. Extra cheese is more than enough. And don’t get me started with the perfectly sliced lemon that hangs on the edge of your glass.

What if you were satisfied with the little things in life?

What if having something to drink was enough. Or having a plate of food was enough, and the extra cheese, just a cherry on top.

What if today, you made the most of it, doing your best, looking at your 80% and ask the Lord to move on the extra 20%?

What if the car, phone, laptop, tv, or job you had was enough for you now?

What if simple, everyday, mundane activities like a quiet talk with your spouse, a rub of a shoulder, a drive along an imainary bridge with your son, or coloring outside of the lines with your daughter was just enough?

What if those little moments that make up each of our days were more than enough? The best memories our children have of us. The moments that inspire them to dream bigger and achieve greater.

What if life was actually, truly, simple and anxiety just put a pothole in it? What if this was an opportunity for you to call a friend to have a cup a coffee with and you can fill the pothole together? Through words of encouragement or laughter.

What if the cup was enough? What if the plate was enough?

Enough for you to fill it with what truly satisfies you.

Better yet, what if you fill someone else’s cup then fill your’s with what’s left?

What if we fill the cup of others and just become satisfied with the ability to serve and bring hope to people?

What if the degree or quantity that would make your life satisfying was small enough that once you have what you need, you begin to look at how you can help others and show them how their experience can indeed be satisfying?

Today, I encourage you to live content. Live with a MORE THAN ENOUGH mindset. Life is too sweet to miss out on the simple things.

Enough is enough.

Enjoy this post? You can follow Delilah on Instagram @DeeMahrie