"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"
(Reinhold Niebuhr).

What do you think this prayers means? It reminds me to seek God first in every situation, especially when I'm attempting to discern between the matters within my power to change and the ones completely out of my control.

What personal life experience do you think of when you read the Serentity Prayer? Recently, I've been overwhelmed once again about several issues in my life. My thoughts seem to bounce around in my head like out-of-control pingpong balls. But as I thought of this prayer once again, I realized how many of my worries are completely out of my control.

For instance, I may be frustrated about the way I look these days, but I really can't do anything about the fact that I'm growing older. So, I can choose to be grateful for all the blessings I've been given in life. And I can make some positive steps to keep my health as long as possible by staying on my exercise program and making better choices in my diet every day.

My life circumstances often get in the way of my plans and dreams. So, instead of dwelling on all my disappointments and failures, I'm choosing to seek God for wisdom as I seek forgiveness and attempt to correct some past mistakes. But in the process, I'm asking God for discernment as I determine which matters are completely out of my power to resolve, so I can release those matters to Him.

I'm thankful that I can seek God's wisdom in all things. And as I focus on my blessings instead of my worries, I'm finally discovering His promised land of rest.

Photo/KarenJordan