Do you ever find yourself saying this prayer and wondering if it’s even possible?
I found myself in a sideways kind of day last week. A day that doesn’t start well, the middle gets kind of complicated, and by the time I’m done for the day, I’m just done. In the middle of that morning I made myself stop, and I read my own blog post for the day. It helped to pause for a moment because I was feeling the “it’s all out of my control and I don’t like that at all” feelings. So, I wrote down the serenity prayer, prayed it, and hoped for the best.
If you ever attend a meeting that end’s in an A (AA, OA, etc.), the prayer is said at each meeting. It’s a tall order because you are asking for peace amidst the chaos of the problem. Each person in those meetings is sincerely asking God for help, acknowledging that help from a higher power is needed. My takeaway from this experience is that I can’t do it on my own. I need courage, wisdom, and ultimately acceptance that I can’t change it myself.
First of all, I have to figure out if I have the power to change the situation I find myself in. With my food choices? Yes, I can make better choices. In a situation at work or relationships? I can’t always change it. Sometimes the best thing you can do is walk away- but that seems counterintuitive. Many people’s inclination is to fight- I agree that you should stand up and fight for your values and your family/children/spouse/etc.
That’s when you need the courage. When it’s a fight worth having, when it will accomplish something. When it’s going to make the situation worse to do something, that’s when you need acceptance of the situation. Change what you are able and keep moving. This is not easy by any stretch, but it can save you the heartache of trying to fight something you won’t win.
The piece that ties it in a bow- please give me the wisdom to know when to keep going and when to stop. That’s where God steps in. I need His divine help and wisdom to know what to do. Do I always choose correctly? No, not at all. Sometimes I don’t even give up when I should. I’m a work in progress for sure.
Next time you find yourself in a situation you can’t see a way out of or control, stop and say the serenity prayer. Ask for the courage to do what you need to do, even if it is just to accept what is. Keep praying/asking until you know the direction to take. Wisdom will come, answers will come, just not always in the way we expect.
