A Firm Foundation of Faith

Some days, I need words. Here is an adaptation of The Serenity Prayer, in case someone reading needs this today:

God, thank you for granting me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change.

Thank you for giving me the courage to change the things I can.

Thank you for providing me the wisdom to know the difference.

Ahhh...a prayer of faith. It reminds me of a couple of verses found in Hebrews 11.

The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It’s our handle on what we can’t see. The act of faith is what distinguished our ancestors, set them above the crowd.

Hebrews 11:1-2 The Message

Putting the Serenity Prayer into Action!

The Serenity Prayer is often used in meeting rooms of various mutual aid societies. It can help remind us of what is ours to do and NOT to do:

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

So often we spend our lives spitting into the wind, trying to change things that we do not have the power, responsibility, or even wisdom to alter. It takes wisdom to figure out what is ours to do!

Many of us are burdened by our attachment to the past; others are so future focused they trip over today. But today is what we are given, with moments on most days that we can enjoy. Focused on the present, in order to be awake and alert, we grapple with the reality that days do come with hardships. Hardships are not avoidable. They offer a pathway to peace.

Acceptance and trust. Reasonable joy. Amen