God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; the courage to change the things I can; the wisdom to know the difference; Living one day at a time; Enjoying one moment at a time; Accepting hardship 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 in the next. Amen.
The history of the Serenity Prayer:
There is still much debate about how the Program came to use the prayer. Another prayer has come to light through the efforts of an A.A. member, and is declared to be perhaps the origin of the Serenity Prayer. A tablet was found inscribed with the following words: “God give me the detachment to accept those things I cannot alter; the courage to alter those things which I can alter; and the wisdom to distinguish the one from the other.” These words (are) by Friedrich Otenger, an evangelical priest of the eighteenth century . . . Some believe this little prayer to be a “soldier’s prayer from the fourteenth century.”
But the history of the Serenity Prayer is not the most important thing – what is important is that this prayer can and does help me, an alcoholic. There have been days in my life when this prayer was the only words uttered. There is much in life I cannot accept. It does take courage to change. And knowing the difference between the two is a blessing from God. The source of the prayer does not really matter, what matters is that it works for me, and countless others!!!
HarryS
Apr 08, 2016 @ 02:23:32
APRIL 8
AN INSIDE LOOK
We want to find exactly how, when, and where our natural
desires have warped us We wish to look squarely at the
unhappiness this has caused others and ourselves By
discovering what our emotional deformities are, we can
move toward their correction.
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 43
Yesterday morning in our 12 and 12 study we considered this very passage. There was a good bit of lively discussion on the word “warped” and my recollection is this word is used in the Big Book when it states, “With glass in hand we have warped our minds”.
To me the word means “bent out of shape” and that’s certainly the terrible condition I found myself and when I finally made my way into the rooms of Alcoholics Anonymous.
The process of warping my mind happened under the influence of alcohol when I succumbed to peculiar phenomenon of immediately wanting two things with incessant desire.
One was another drink of liquor!
The other was a woman!
It’s funny how drinking liquor or the effect of liquor unleashes the most base desires.
Funny how easy it is to become a sociopath.
God works in mysterious ways his wonders to perform.
Otherwise there might not be an Alcoholics Anonymous.
JT
Apr 08, 2016 @ 02:55:19
Alcohol turned me into a human pretzel.
3-D
Apr 08, 2016 @ 04:06:09
Good to catch up n much to ponder on. May I be of some use to him today.
Bill_M
Apr 08, 2016 @ 09:02:25
Like most of the actions I take in AA, it doesn’t matter what the origin of the idea was or even why it works. I am just glad it does. There was a time when all I could do was repeat the prayer over end over. Thank you for the share and the reminder.
Kt
Apr 08, 2016 @ 09:38:52
AN INSIDE LOOK
We want to find exactly how, when, and where our natural desires have warped us. We wish to look squarely at the unhappiness this has caused others and ourselves. By discovering what our emotional deformities are, we can move toward their correction.
— TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 43
Move to correction is the words I can latch on, thank you SMB for the history of the prayer, I did not hear the history of that before, as you mentioned it works for us, it works for a lot of people. And it keeps working
Clay
Apr 08, 2016 @ 09:50:03
Top of the morning family,
God grant me; most outstanding humility request to destroy self-centeredness. I need You in my life…
Circumstances haven’t changed in my life. It’s how I react to them that have changed. Today, it’s not what happens to me, but what happens in me. Serenity isn’t about living in the “good times”. This new order for living equips us with high grade spiritual tools to: accept hardships as the pathway to peace.The world will destroy that peace. Divine Mercy offers true peace for all times. It’s everlasting. His peace isn’t defined upon circumstances. He matches calamity with serenity.
Much obliged Sister Bonnie for the History 101. Been a while, since I heard the second paragraph of nuggets from the SP. Thank you for this new homework assignment.
It’s a good day to have a good day.
Tom S
Apr 08, 2016 @ 11:26:27
The interplay of natural desires, emotions and alcohol- what an age old saga.
Mix those with my ego, and it will play out once again, quite predictably.
Lost, bewildered, confused and unaware I am unaware…the loss of all else.
That was me.
But you introduced a new dynamic, and eventually I was sufficiently desperate to give it the tiniest try.
That new fragile, fleeting moment when concious mind overcame reflexive resort to drink.
Can’t tell you why it worked, I can only tell you it happened for me and countless others, daily.
I physically put myself amongst you, and I kept myself amongst you.
You welcomed me.
Most of me resisted everything you said and showed me.
The miracle arrived anyway, in spite of me.
Grateful for the Gift