Serenity

Serenity. Peace. Calm. Goals that have been eluding us lately.

Our daughter continues to struggle with adoption issues. She can't figure out why her birthmother would "give her away" (her words).

Anger. Sadness. Confusion. These are very real parts of our daughter's days.

I pray without ceasing. "God, give me strength. Give me patience. Give me wisdom!"

I shared the Serenity Prayer with our daughter. I'm realizing that it applies to me, too.

The Serenity Prayer
by Reinhold Niebuhr (1892-1971)
Complete, Unabridged, Original Version.

God, give us 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.

(Note: photo comes from Korea; where both of our children are from)