As a Matter of Fact

It has occurred to me recently how much my world has changed in that I feel so differently about causes and how my methods for crusading have taken a different tack.  What can I change?

Some years back, I figured I could change your mind if I used the right words or if I timed my soap-box speeches to match your mood. Preaching to you could work.  I labored over the right way to approach your demeanor on any given day and mentally wrote my script to convince you once and for all to follow my guidance for a better plan for your life. Your political views and religious views were even part of my strategies (you were all wrong in your social thinking too).  My way was surely your solution...your perfect solution.

How many times was I wrong! How many times could I have ruined your life had you actually listened to my lectures and followed my directions?  Did I think I was God Himself?  I really think I had taken on that responsibility with no request from anyone.  Too  bad for all involved.

I was spending  hours, days, weeks and months with horrible feelings of failure and heart aches because you wouldn't listen to me.  It did take a lot of failure for me to understand I couldn't change you...you had your path. I was not your director nor was I in charge of rearranging the world and the natural process of life and death. Does that sound like a fatalist attitude?  Not really.

Once I let go of trying to play God, I relaxed and gave the world back to its Creator. My life got sweeter and those around me seemed to love me more. My change of attitude was all I could do.  That was the change I could make for my world and that was the crusade that produced the biggest effect in my life.  No longer did I have a need to convince the world of right and wrong because I only had to live in the right next decision for myself and I could be the happy and free person that I wished for all.

Regardless of the outcome of life's journey, if I believe it began and will end with Him, I have no problems today.

My causes and crusades are different today because I let Him do the planning and I do the believing and accepting that He is able to do the best for His world!

You could think about the Serenity Prayer:

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.

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.