Seeking Serenity by Trevor HudsonSample

Life can be like a traffic jam

Have you ever been caught in a traffic jam? I suspect we all have. A traffic jam is something we cannot change. There is nothing we can do about it. Some people deal with it well. They listen to music, catch up on the news, pray for others, enjoy the silence and sometimes even sing. These are the saints amongst us! But many of us get agitated, swear, seethe, constantly switch lanes and pound the steering wheel. None of these things help. The frustration builds up and we get angrier and more impatient as the time goes by.

Life can be like a traffic jam. Each day we face situations that cannot be changed. The first request the Serenity Prayer makes is asking for the serenity “to accept the things we cannot change”. This seldom comes easy. We need all the grace and help and power that God can give. But when we can accept those things that cannot be changed, the seed of peace planted in our hearts begins to germinate and grow. 

As time goes by, we begin to enjoy “the priceless gift of serenity”. While there will be attitudes for us to develop, and things that we must do, the serenity to accept things we cannot change comes from God alone. Can you see why we need to pray the Serenity Prayer?

Seeking Serenity

Think of one difficult situation at the moment that you cannot change. Honestly share your feelings—perhaps frustration, or pain, or the longing for things to be different, or guilt—with the God who is always near.