Finding serenity

"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."

Serenity. What a calm and stable word. It conjures up strength during turbulent times. When life is crazy, it is the eye of the hurricane. "Be still and know that I am God." Peace. Calm.

When I think about it, I am perplexed by a myriad of pressures and conflicts, dramas and oddities. There are times when it is difficult to see the order or purpose in the swirl of it all but somehow I find peace in extraordinary places.

A slice of my life:

* A student contemplates suicide and turns to me as her only hope.
* My three young children clamor for my attention and all are in tears over some "issue" at hand.
* My colleagues are at odds with each other and ask me for advice in conflict resolution.
* My wife is ill and we don't know what is wrong.
* My preservice teachers are stressed and I need wisdom to give them what they need.
* In the span of 3 years, I lost both parents and two brothers

WHEW!

Am I glad that ultimately I don't need to have all the answers?
What I do need to do is remain hopeful and at peace and live this reality in tangible ways...