“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” -Philippians 4: 6 & 7
When I was little, our kitchen and several others I visited used to have the Serenity Prayer hanging on the wall. You remember this prayer by Reinhold Niebuhr: “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.”
Throughout my life, I have been faced with many challenges, including our house burning to the ground and losing every material possession in 2010. Right after this event, many people asked me, “How can you be so calm when you are dealing with this?” I would tell them that I remember the Serenity Prayer’s statement about “accepting the things I cannot change” and I get the peace that God gives me from realizing that I had no control over what happened and that I can trust God to hold me in his hand and take care of my future and provide for us.
It wasn’t always easy, and it was a long process (some of which we are still doing) filing insurance paperwork, designing a new house, moving into several temporary places, and then finally moving into the new house. However, I realized that God was with us the whole time and giving us the serenity to accept what had happened and the courage to make decisions about the road ahead.
I pray that all of us will remember that many things happen in our lives that we have no control over and that we need to just accept them, and trust what happens, and that God has our future all figured out. I pray for patience for His leading and courage to do the things necessary to bring His plans to fruition. Amen.
Sue Kralle is the mother of two former Delanco Camp campers and is an active member of Chews United Methodist Church. Image credit: Gail Wall, via CreationSwap