Stephen Sumrall | September (Belated) Blog
"God grant me the serenity to accept the things that I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference." This morning at 7:00 am in one of the classy niche coffee shops of downtown Raleigh, my mentor reminded me of this prayer. The serenity prayer. Addicts are encouraged to prayer this prayer as they battle with the habits they've formed and learn to capitulate their lives to to their God. Running back and forth from one planned aspect of the Raleigh fellows program to the next makes me feel like I'm addicted, addicted to busyness. Pouring into the lives of youth is a great practice, as is intentional family time, and let's not forget serving in the church. Each of the aspects of the program have made me more busy, but at the same time they've spoken to me about serenity, courage, and wisdom.
So how does one find serenity or peace in the midst of the business? Being discipled by your employer during work hours isn't mandated by Raleigh Fellows, but God can find a way to reach you when you expect it last. Earlier today my mind was frazzled, it was literally scattered all over the office in the form several different projects that demanded my attention. In the midst of the chaos, my employer Stu, walked in to prep an order next to me. Somehow the conversation turned to the word Selah as Stu reminded me that it means to pause. Take a break. Even in the midst of the chaos God used an aspect of the program that made me busy to remind me not to be busy.
Raleigh fellows has required courage of us too. Everything is new and overwhelming. Every morning I have to roll out of a strange bed, onto a floor my toes still aren't used to feeling, and avoid some relative strangers that cohabitate the house I live in. Surprisingly those same "strangers" are the people who give me courage and I wonder how I could have known so little about my host family just a month ago. They have taken it upon themselves to give me courage to pour into others and encouraged me to use their resources to help myself in that endeavor. God uses the very things that initially required courage to fill me and change other things around me.
As I sat in the newly remodeled Helios Cafe gazing over Eric's shoulder at the waking streets, my mentor imparted the wisdom of the serenity prayer to me. And in the spirit of that prayer I hope Raleigh Fellows helps me continue to accept what I can't change with peace, not hesitate to jump on the opportunities I have, and continue learning wisdom from employers, mentors, and other fellows to know the difference.