Grace in Unexpected Places

Nathan and I are completely redoing our bedroom, getting rid of furniture, moving things around and in doing so I’ve come across some old pictures that have made me laugh, some of the kids from when they were first born that made me want to cry, and in an old bible, I found a worn piece of paper with this typed on it

“Now Lord, you’ve known me a long time.  You know me better than I know myself.  You know that each day I am growing older and someday may even be very old, so meanwhile please keep me from the habit of thinking I must say something on every subject and on every occasion.

Release me from trying to straighten out everyone’s affairs.  Make me thoughtful, but not moody, helpful but not overbearing.  I’ve a certain amount of knowledge to share; still it would be very nice to have a few friends who, at the end, recognized and forgave the knowledge I lacked.

Keep my tongue free from the recital of endless details.  Seal my lips on my aches and pains: They increase daily and the need to speak of them becomes almost a compulsion.  I ask for grace enough to listen to the retelling of others’ afflictions, and to be helped to endure them with patience.

I would like to have improved memory, but I’ll settle for growing humility and an ability to capitulate when my memory clashes with the memory of others.  Teach me the glorious lesson that on some occasions I may be mistaken.

Keep me reasonably kind; I’ve never aspired to be a saint…saints must be rather difficult to live with…yet on the other hand, an embittered old person is a constant burden.

Please give me the ability to see good in unlikely places and talents in unexpected people.  And give me the grace to tell them so, dear Lord.”

These words spoke straight to my heart, I wish I knew who’d typed it.  I wish I knew to whom these words resonated so much that they put them on paper, I wonder how many times they lifted these words in prayer.  These words speak to me of need, of self awareness and of realizing the need for Grace.

Sometimes you find what you need, when you didn’t even know you were looking