Tuesday, April 1, 2008

TOTD, April 01

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
(By Reinhold Niebuhr, written in the 1930s or in the early 1940s).


A simple prayer by Niebuhr, but has a very deep meaning. I believe that most of you have already known the prayer as well. It's very beautiful, isn't it?
And more amazingly, recently I read a book Why Are You Worrying by Joseph W. Ciarrocchi. It says that several years ago when he was doing research on stress, he read a book. The author, a psychologist with no theological background, stated that all the literature on coping with stress could be summed up in the Serenity Prayer.
Accepting thing as it is.

Well, it reminds me of a real good example from Mother Mary. With her obedience- by knowing herself as the Lord's servant- she said bravely, " Let it be as You have said."

Today, maybe we're in the middle of some big or even huge changes. And those changes are not easy to cope with. Lots of stressful things, lots of unpleasant things along the way that need adjustments. But, let this prayer, as well as Mother Mary as our role model, make us face everything bravely.
Hopefully, we can get through those changes with smile. Knowing that God is in control of our life. Amen. (-fon-)

Mary said, `I am the Lord's servant. Let it be as you have said.' Then the angel left her.
--- Luke 1:38

No comments: