November 13, 2009
The Second Half
The Serenity Prayer
BY DEACON JIM AND ANN CAVERA
“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.” These few words are commonly known as “The Serenity Prayer.” The prayer is usually attributed to theologian Reinhold Niebuhr, though it may have been around before he published it in 1941. It gained widespread recognition as the prayer used by Alcoholics Anonymous. We are most familiar wth the words because they hang on the wall in the entry to our home. Jim’s mother embroidered the prayer and had it framed as a gift for us before she died of cancer in 1975.
We’ve been thinking about finding serenity in difficult times because in the past several weeks we have learned of three friends who are facing cancer in different stages. Each of our friends is searching for serenity while having the courage to change whatever can be changed. One friend is returning to work and his prognosis is good. The second friend has just been diagnosed and is uncertain about what lies ahead. A third friend called to let us know she has entered hospice. Meanwhile, our daily prayer for each of them is for healing on every level of their being including complete physical healing if God so wills.
Sometimes we feel as though there are fewer and fewer things we can actually change. With more years behind us than in front of us, we are well aware there is nothing we can do to change the past. We also realize there is little we can do to change the way other people see us or what they think about us. The blessing is we no longer feel we have to impress anyone. Most of us have some health issues that are more or less chronic. Poor hearing, osteoporosis, arthritis and high blood pressure can be managed or slowed, but they aren’t going to go away. There is also little we can do about the economy, wars in distant places, loss of jobs and other facts of life that are part of the bigger picture.
While we seem to be able to alter circumstances less and less, it is also difficult to find the courage and energy to change the things we can. Am I content to be a good and faithful servant in any way that is still possible? How can I make a difference for my neighbor? Can I accept other people just the way they are instead of the way I wish they could be? Can I accept God’s will for my life right now? Can I be open to God’s gifts, or am I too obsessed with wanting things otherwise to even recognize his gifts?
While we may have little control over our circumstances, the one thing we can always change is our perspective. The way to a fresh perspective is through letting go of what can’t be in order to discover the possibilities in what we have. No matter where the road takes us, prayer provides the light to see things differently.
Deacon Jim and Ann Cavera are former residents of Evansville; their award-winning column is a regular feature of the Message. Contact them at www.catholicseniorspirit.com.