A Simple Serenity Prayer

by Jerry Senn

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.
Living one day at a time,
Enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace,
Taking, as he did, this sinful world as it is,
Not as I would have it,
Trusting that he will make all things right
If I surrender to his will–
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
And supremely happy with him forever.

(Trevor Hudson)

 “Surrender is, among other things, the doorway to serenity. We would all like a serene life, but we were born into the wrong world for that one. Serenity requires surrender because if we live at the mercy of our ever-shifting and never-satisfied desires, we will be tugged and drawn in a hundred competing directions. Only full allegiance to a good greater than ourselves can give us a center and a focus. Serenity is not based on pleasant circumstances. Serenity is a by-product of finding a solid foundation on which to ground our life. It comes not when we master our outer world but when we surrender our inner one.” (Dane Ortberg, “Steps,” p 68).

(Note: “Jerry’s column” will resume in September, 2025)

God bless!