“I hereby command you: Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” – Joshua 1:9
I think we’ve all heard of this prayer right here at some point of our lives. But what I thought was weird was that it kept resurfacing lately in my life.
O God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.
“…grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change”
When really internalizing this line, it gives me goosebumps to simply come to a conclusion that I need to let go, and let God. I am the type of person to want to be in control and know what will happen next. My day is scheduled a specific way that I have time to react to any minor changes. But if something out of the ordinary barge in my schedule, a sense of anxiety of “omg what will I do now” resurfaces. Letting go that sense of entitlement has always been difficult for me, because it results in letting go to a possibility to something I have invested so much of my time in. But the Lord continues to reassure me that, He is all I need and to constantly refocus and fixate my eyes on Him.
“…the courage to change the things I can..”
Be not afraid, famous words of St John Paul ll. This phrase has been resounding in my heart the past year. Being courageous is not the absence of fear, but victory of it. I have grown to be thankful for my moments of fear and doubts and to be able to look at them as opportunities to grow in virtue and trust in God.
“..and the wisdom to know the difference.”
My heart has never been this disturbed to say these words in adoration the other day;
Lord, if its in your will, allow me to continue to desire it.
Lord, if this is not of you, please take it away.
This scares me because it pushes me away from comfort. It pushes me away from what I’m used to. It pushes me to simply surrender and trust in God. It’s one thing to acknowledge to trust in God, and another thing to embrace it. To completely trust God, puts us in the posture of surrender, which can be difficult because to surrender can result to change. Change can only result to growth if we allow the experience to change us in a way that will lead us to Christ. Like St Teresa of Avila, may we be affirmed of this..
May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be” – St Teresa of Avila
I pray the peace of Christ may disturb your hearts always.
Merciful Father, if its in your will, allow me to continue to desire it. Lord, if this is not of you, please take it away. Jesus, I trust in You. Amen.
JMJ,
Diane Dimacali