Dayenu
I recently learned of a Hebrew word—Dayenu. It is a song that means “sufficient.” It’s sung during Passover. The lyrics include lines like “If He had brought us out of Egypt” or “If He had parted the sea for us,” and the stanzas finish with “It would have been sufficient.” Individually, these are all great gifts, and when combined in this way, a greater appreciation becomes apparent.
Last week, All Saints’ served dinner at the night shelter. For seven nights, 40 guests had dinner. Beyond that, the staff, All Saints’ volunteers, and other guests also had food.
• Spaghetti using sauce left over from the youth Italian dinner—Dayenu
• Apple spice cake!—Dayenu
• Country steak, meatloaf, lasagna, chicken tetrazzini, fried chicken—Dayenu
• Donated BBQ and sides—Dayenu
• Salads with lots of topping variety—Dayenu
• To-go bags of snacks—Dayenu
• Soup night on the coldest night of the week—Dayenu
The work we do at the shelter only appears to be about food. But it’s also about being stewards of the space, our skills, and the supplies.
• First-time volunteers—Dayenu
• Sixteen youth and parents cleaning kitchen drawers and fridges—Dayenu
• Sorting silverware—Dayenu
• Using existing donations—Dayenu
• The vestry making that kitchen sparkle to start the next week—Dayenu
• Washing dishes—Dayenu
• People volunteering multiple nights—Dayenu
Volunteers are encouraged to take a plate of food and dine with the guests. It’s powerful to sit across from someone and meet them as a person—fearfully and wonderfully made.
• A guest sharing her paintings with us—Dayenu
• Asheville residents with a safe place to sleep—Dayenu
• Watching fireworks together—Dayenu
• “You can tell y’all make this food with love.”—Dayenu
That last one—whew, that moves me.
Our vision is “to be a church that Loves Like God Loves.” It’s not often we receive direct affirmation like that. What a gift!
Look at those lists—God provides abundantly. I’m sure I’m forgetting a million things. If you were there, you have your own lists. Dayenu.
We aren’t scheduled to be back at the night shelter until August 2025.
In the meantime, please pray for the guests: Kris, Laverne, Wesley, Charles, Sheina, and more.
Also, remember the staff we interact with: Kwan, Sandra, Bob, Des, and Louree, who work with love every week.
There are more opportunities to feed hungry neighbors. If it’s a ministry you feel called to, please chat with me. There are ways we can be involved before August that won’t require a full-week commitment.
With Love,
Gary