For those of you who may not know me—I am a woman. I’m a long-time follower of Christ, an educator, a traveler, a scrapbooker, an avid reader, a crafter… I could go on. But many of the identities and interests God has given me have often been complicated by that first one: I am a woman.

Let me explain.

Picture a crisp autumn Saturday. My ideal day might include a morning trip to the local home improvement store, an hour at the shooting range, an afternoon football game, and ending the evening with a gripping spy novel. Who typically does these things? Men. The books I read often appear on “Christian Novels for Men” lists. I can score basketball, baseball, and other sports. And yet, there’s also a deeply romantic woman in me—a woman who longed to be a wife and mother. But I was never Enough.

Even professionally, being a Christian woman can come with limitations. We’re often deemed suitable only for certain roles, expected to remain silent in some settings, and sometimes see others take credit for our work. We’re told—explicitly or implicitly—that we are not Enough. These limitations are rooted in systems we didn’t create, and yet many men fail to advocate for change. Maybe I wasn’t Enough to be chosen as a wife or to be gifted with motherhood. But I did feel called to Christian higher education—to equip Emerging Generations, especially student-athletes, professionally, personally, and spiritually.

Then came a crushing blow.

In November 2023, my employer of 29 years—my twice alma mater—told me, “Julie, you are not Enough. We do not value your years of investment in this university. Your position will be eliminated in 2025. Good luck.” At 52—too young to retire—I was devastated. Friends I considered family disappeared. Only a few faithful Christ-followers remained. The message was loud and clear: I wasn’t Enough. Not as an employee, a friend, or a church member. I was rejected and lied to by those I trusted most.

This season has been the hardest since losing a dear friend to suicide years ago. Starting over, leaving everything familiar, facing financial insecurity—it all screamed that who I am is not Enough.

But then, a newly found sister in Christ reminded me of something profound: In Jesus’ eyes, women are special. We are Enough. We matter to Him and to His ministry.

She shared a clip from The Chosen (Season 5, Episode 4), where Jesus’ female disciples repurpose the traditional Dayenu—a Jewish song of gratitude—to thank Him for the specific ways He worked in their lives. Kevin Keating describes it this way: “They thank Jesus for things that also ‘would have been Enough.’” He encourages us to write our own Dayenu—a personal expression of gratitude for how Jesus has been Enough in our lives.

“Mother Mary: If I had only been given the joy of holding you in my arms and you had not performed signs and wonders, (it would have been Enough)…
Tamar: If you had only called Simon Peter and not healed my friend, (it would have been Enough)…”

So now, I’m challenged to consider my own Dayenu. To prayerfully reflect on what my scene might look like and say:

Jesus, if you had left heaven and become human and not performed signs and wonders, (it would have been Enough).
If you had only performed signs and wonders and not provided a wonderful Christian home, (it would have been Enough).
If you had provided a wonderful Christian home, and not blessed me with Abiding Friendships, (it would have been Enough)...

We all have moments when we feel like we’re not Enough. But take heart—in Jesus’ eyes, you are. You always have been. His only request?

“Follow Me.”

Reference:

Keating, K. (2025, April 16). Crafting a community: Dayenu inspired by The Chosen season 5: Last supper. The Bible Artist. https://www.thebibleartist.com/post/crafting-a-community-dayenu-inspired-by-the-chosen-season-5-last-supper

Robbins, B. (2025, July 9). What most people missed in The Chosen season 5 episode 4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkTLf9klD5U