The Serenity Prayer

 
God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

  I actually think I have used this in another blog, I am having a deja vu feeling.  I think these are the most important four lines ever penned, spoken, thought or prayed.  To not be able to change something that is tearing you apart is so painful, and the trying to change what is not in your power to change can make you mad.  Saying "I can't do anything about it" is not enough, what you need is the calm that comes from the faith you have in knowing, "I can't do anything about it, but it will be all right.  When you have an opportunity to be a force in making change happen, when you know it will cost you and you do it anyway, that's when the strength of your faith makes you brave in your stand.  Knowing when you can and when you can't takes years of practice and many mistakes and often much suffering from getting it all wrong.  Yet, all of the errors have afforded you the wisdom to now accept, or to go into battle.  

Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen.

I never knew the rest of this.  My favorite line is:  That I may be reasonably happy in this life,
I mean really, can we ask of Him more than this?  I can't explain where this came from tonight, but I do have someone in mind.  May you all have peace, strength and wisdom as you journey through this life.


Rosemary