Sarum Pause for Reflection: Prayer and Acceptance

Reflection

I am certain that almost everybody else in Salisbury must be better at coping with interruptions than I am! All of us get stuck in our ways and in coping with strange and complex times getting into a routine helps! Perhaps routines are made to be disturbed?

I think that one just has to accept how we are. I’m convinced that quite a lot of life’s work is putting up with oneself. Here is where prayer comes in. Growth in prayer means increasing willingness to be exposed to what happens and accept whatever is and, as it is, living with the consequences, enjoying life to the full and not wasting time on regrets.

Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise.

James 5:13

Prayer

God, give me grace to accept with serenity
the things that cannot be changed,
Courage to change the things
which should be changed,
and the Wisdom to distinguish
the one from the other.

Living one day at a time,
Enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,
Taking, as Jesus did,
This sinful world as it is,
Not as I would have it,
Trusting that You will make all things right,
If I surrender to Your will,
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,
And supremely happy with You forever in the next.

Amen.