Serenity

This post is by Tami Rodriguez.

 Most of us know the famous old Serenity Prayer written by Reinhold Niebhur.  In fact most people can quote it regardless of their faith or religion and it is found on everything from blankets to key chains.  For me, this simple prayer led to a huge change in my God Time and Plan Time over the past few months.

One day while trying to find ways to de-stress I decided to simply list everything that was weighing on my mind just to get it out of my head and onto paper. I found this tremendously helpful especially dealing with the “morning overwhelm” that always seemed to greet me when I opened my eyes to a new day. I started to see there were two distinct categories and that old prayer came to mind. There were things I could personally do something about and others which I had no control over.  

I decided to change my morning around a bit and combined my God Time and Plan time.  I did this because as I tried to do God Time my mind would constantly wander to all I had to do that day and all the things I was worried about. In short, I couldn’t concentrate on God’s Word because I was too caught up in my own head! I started to begin my day with “The List.”  

After I got everything written down, I would read it through and mark things I could take action on and what that action was.  Should I send a card, text or meal to someone in need of help or encouragement? Did I need to “just do it” and stop procrastinating on something?  If so, right then and there I’d pray for the courage to do what I should and get it on my planner for the coming day or week.  

Once I finished that I would go back to the rest of the items on the list, those things I personally couldn’t do anything about.  If I had no control over it, I realized it was the perfect way to start a daily prayer list. I could do nothing about these things that were causing me large amounts of stress and worry but... God COULD.  I had no control over those situations but God did and He could give me the peace I was searching for. I would pray for wisdom to know the difference between what was mine and what was His. If it was completely out of my hands, I prayed for His intervention, wisdom, love and help.  For myself I then prayed for serenity. Serenity: clearness and calmness; quietness; stillness; peace; undisturbed state (Webster's 1828). 

 I am simply amazed how many things I stress and worry over that I have no control to change. Not only can Christ give us His peace in these situations, I simply see them now for what they are...not mine to carry.  I cannot cure someone of cancer or disease or depression. I cannot change someone's attitude or openness to salvation. But God can. It is all in His very loving and capable hands. 

What an amazing gift that He wants me to cast all of my cares upon Him.  He wants to carry my burdens. This wonderfully simple practice has helped me do that in a whole new and freeing way.  At the end of this process I feel lighter, clear headed and ready to dig into the Word. I have fresh eyes to see my loving Father in amazing ways and can hear what He is teaching me that day. 

How about you? What things do you need to work on today and what things do you need to surrender to God?  Starting your day with that clear vision makes for a peaceful start and an easy transition into God’s Word and the rest of your day.

1 Peter 5:7

casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.

Ephesians 3:20

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us

Tami Rodriguez is “just a mom who likes to write”. She is wife to her high school sweetheart and mama to 5 ridiculously fast growing children. She loves the Lord and His Word which excites and inspires her to lead and encourage others in her home, church and when the Lord provides the opportunity, through her writing. You can find her on Instagram @rodfamily007

Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash