You are probably familiar with this first part of the prayer. But the next section is also filled with gems. Check it out…
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.
Living one day at a time,
Enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardship 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 think this is a picture of maturity, what we can hope for in our lives. This is a prayer guiding us to live moment by moment looking for the presence of God. It pushes us away from the notion of living our lives for the sake of receiving blessings from God.
Let me explain. Our flesh longs to be in control and worship the law of linearity which is, if I do A and B and I will get C. Oh how I long for this to be true! But if you have allowed yourself to really see the brokenness in this world you will know it isn’t true. Well behaved and innocent children are abused. Health conscious people get cancer. Kids with great god fearing parents go astray. Yes my stomach just turned too. Guys we aren’t in control.
This prayer is saying God is in it all. He holds all the broken pieces and gray in our lives. He holds all our questions and fears. He is enough. He is not asking us to work hard at A and B so he can give us C. He is saying he is A-Z. Stop striving. Simply receive Him.
This is a moment by moment struggle for me. But lets stay in the game. Let’s keep wrestling with our flesh. Am I living under the law of linearity (look for guilt, shame, and fear) or am I living for intimacy with my divine creator through everything that comes my way (evidenced by freedom, peace, and hope)?
Feel free to leave comments and questions.
The Road We Are On 