Finally Surrendering to Home Sweet Home

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I can not 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 hardships 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.
 
Serenity Prayer - Reinhold Niebuhr (1892-1971)
 
Next month marks five years of residence in Fort Worth, Texas.  Since my arrival in this city, I have experienced a lot of ups and downs: heartache, joy, disappointment, great gains, severe losses, simply treading water, and so much more.  The circumstances under which I moved from Houston to Fort Worth were not the best.  As a result, the best description of my time living here has been "kicking and screaming."  Many people, I'm sure, are tired of hearing me grumble and moan about my lot in life getting assigned, however against my will it may seem, to reside in a city not of my choosing.  Feelings and thoughts of getting relegated and stuck here often occur to me.  In spite of the constant striving, beating my head against a very unforgiving wall of resistance, I simply have not made any headway in making an exodus from here.  Recently the issue has crescendo-ed to growing weary of my own complaining about the situation at-hand.  Finally, not out of resignation, I have surrendered to the Will of God as He continues to work in my life and heart, shaping and molding me into the likeness of His Son Jesus the Messiah.  In and through all this, I am looking forward in this new year to make Fort Worth home.  In addition, one of the focus areas of growth will involve taking existing friendships and relationships to a deeper level of intimacy.  This whole new mindset hasn't completely taken hold, but I hope and pray God will continue to work in my heart so I may say with genuineness and sincerity, "Home Sweet Home, at last!"

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