THE SHEPHERD’S CORNER

One of the most famous prayers is the one by Reinhold Niebuhr, the 20th century American theologian; it’s called 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.” We usually hear this prayer in various recovery groups but as you can see, this prayer goes beyond recovery. We all need serenity to accept the things we cannot change; courage to change the things we can; and we all need wisdom to know the difference.

In times like these we need serenity to accept the things we cannot change. Some of us have lost our jobs; consequently, our income revenues have been reduced to none, or almost none. Some of us have lost relatives or friends; consequently, life has become empty, or at least, emptier. And some of us have lost freedom. We cannot even step out of our chambers; all we can see around us is just walls. We need serenity to accept the things we cannot change.

In times like these we also need courage to change the things we can. We need courage to simplify our lives; we need courage to ask for help; and we definitely need courage to admit to past mistakes that have exacerbated our present struggles. And lastly, we need wisdom to know the difference between the things we can and cannot change. The things we can change are usually the things about or stem from us while the things we cannot change are generally about or emanate from our external situations.

Dear brothers and sisters, please hang in there. There is no easy answer, so do not look for one; there is no short-cut, so do not take one. This journey will end but to get there we must walk together. So, thank you for calling, caring, and praying for each other.

Pastor Paul