The winter of 2015 has been treacherous with record-breaking temperatures and snowstorms in areas that rarely get snow. The inclement weather has caused cities to shut down, airlines to cancel or delay flights and countless weather-related traffic accidents.
When unforeseen events occur, such as the blizzard that struck the East Coast (several times this year), people tend to get uptight. Acts of nature such as this winter’s awful weather leave many of us feeling vulnerable. We prefer to be in control of events that affect our lives.
I pray what is known as the Serenity Prayer (by American theologian Reinhold Niebuhr) when I feel I’ve lost control of my life.
God, give me 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.
What do you do to stay serene in times of turmoil or strife?
Deborah Calvert is associate executive director of Women of the ELCA.
Photo of used with permission.