Now most people are familiar with 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." But I wonder how many realize that there is more to it than that. Pastor read the rest of it in a sermon a few weeks back and I remember thinking it would be worth embracing on a daily basis.
...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
Wow, if I were to underline the parts of this prayer that hit me, then the whole thing would be underlined! How often have I been upset at not knowing what the future holds when I should just be concentrating on today? And how many times do I ask God to work around my will for things, instead of trusting in His? And as pastor brought up in another sermon, are we living for the dot of our existence or are we living for the line of eternity? Lord help me to remember to always live for the line.
So, while I am not a resolution maker, I still have objectives for 2010:
- Take a spiritual journey, studying and reading scripture like never before.
- Grow our Mr. & Mrs. ministry to effectively reach married couples before they are in crisis.
- Continue to prepare myself for the ministry God has called me to, praying and seeking His ultimate will.
- Continue into year 2 of our 5 year financial plan. Even though year 1 didn't go at all like we anticipated.
- Make exercise a normal part of my routine.
I'm sure there is more that I haven't thought of yet, but these are the ones that have been on my mind a lot lately.
So, Lord I pray for the strength, wisdom and courage to carry out your plans in 2010. Living everyday for the line and not for the dot. Amen
