Thoughts to Inspire

Since I didn’t get a day off last week—and because my usual Monday morning Bible study was serendipitously canceled this morning—I took today off. I rested, read, played with the dogs, enjoyed the sunshine, and even watched a movie on tv. It was great. Because of my lack of interaction with the “real world” today, I have no provocative “thoughts” to share…so I am posting, instead of my own thoughts, two writings that have meant a lot to me.

First, a prayer that we often hear, but only in part. I actually like that last part of the prayer better than the more familiar part. What do you think?

The Serenity Prayer
by Reinhold Niebuhr

God grant me
Serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can, and
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.

Second, I love this poem: one of John Donne’s holy sonnets. It is Old English, so it takes a certain amount of analysis to really understand it. I first encountered this as a freshman in college, during a British literature class. To me, it talks about the human struggle to love God as we long to love Him—how we can only love God well if God pulls us away from the lesser loves of our lives and binds us to Himself. I, unfortunately, relate way too well to this sonnet, but I love it, nonetheless. I hope you enjoy it!

Batter My Heart
by John Donne

Batter my heart, three-person’d God, for you

As yet but knock, breathe, shine, and seek to mend;

That I may rise, and stand, o’erthrow me, and bend

Your force, to break, blow, burn and make me new.

I, like an usurp’d town, to another due,

Labor to admit you, but Oh, to no end,

Reason your viceroy in me, me should defend,

But is captiv’d, and proves weak or untrue.

Yet dearly I love you, and would be loved fain,

But am betroth’d unto your enemy:

Divorce me, untie, or break that knot again,

Take me to you, imprison me, for I

Except you enthrall me, never shall be free,

Nor ever chaste, except you ravish me.