Have you ever heard the full Serenity Prayer, by Reinhold Neibuhr? I didn’t know there was more, but the full text is very cool!

God, give us 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.

Amen.

Here’s my rhymed poem inspired by the above.

Serenity Poem

God, grant me the serenity
That only comes from You
To take the things that I can’t change.
Please change my point of view.
And give me courage to go forth
And change what’s in my power
And help me tell, Lord, which is which.
Help me live in this hour.
Help me remember hardship is
A pathway to Your peace.
Help me to take this world as is;
My wishful thinking, cease.
Help me to trust, as Jesus did,
That You’ll make all things right
If I surrender to Your will
And follow in Your light.
I know that I’ll be happier
In this life here below
And even more in heaven
When it’s time for me to go.

(c) 2016 Denise McKenney

Feel free to print, share or repost anything on this blog. I do ask that you let me know if you use one of my poems on your blog or at your church somehow. It might give me an idea of better ways to spread His words, which I am always looking to do. And of course, always keep the copyright symbol and my name with the poem so I continue to have the right to use them. You may not realize that if something is posted enough times without the copyright notice, I could lose the copyright and then someone else could conceivably file for a copyright and I would no longer be able to use my own poems! It has happened, so please make sure the (c) is always on the poem whenever you repost. Thanks!

God bless,
Denise McKenney