Serenity is a state of calm and peacefulness, something we all wish for but so rarely achieve. The meaning of this word has changed. Originally, in the fifteenth century, it was a title of honour, such as "his most serene highness", and is still occasionally used today. Before 1460, the word serenity was used to mean fair weather and clear skies, taken from the Middle French serenite and the Latin serenitatem which meant clearness and calmness.
If only we could be as clear headed and calm as this. In order to achieve serenity, some people meditate, some pray. Heave you ever heard of the Serenity Prayer?
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.
The origin of this prayer is cause for debate, but the theologian Dr. Rheinhold Niebuhr is generally credited with its authorship, when he used it in a sermon in the 1930s. It was printed on cards for US troops during World War Two and has since been used by many self-help groups, including Alcoholics Anonymous since the 1940s.
So next time you feel stressed and overwhelmed by life's problems, try saying this prayer. Because when you talk to Him, God listens.
Sources:
Chambers Dictionary of Etymology (1988), Chambers.
The Origin of our Serenity Prayer (1992) [online]. Available from: http://www.aahistory.com/prayer.html (Accessed 12th January 2011).
Juliana
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