Strength, Courage, Wisdom.

When I was about 10 years old I found the Serenity Prayer on one of my mom’s old magnets. With my oh so wise 10 year old brain I thought it was the most amazing prayer ever. Though I am a few years older today, I still think whoever wrote the prayers must have been a genius (or really close to God!) I used to keep the prayer in my night stand drawer and pray it at night for people that where hard to deal with. Over the years, the prayers has slowly faded to the back of my mind, and I haven’t repeated it’s oh-so comforting words to myself in at least a year.

This weekend, I got the chance to water ski and wake board. These were some of the most physically challenging things I have ever done. There were quite a few times where I had landed in the water bad, the breath had been knocked out of me, and I was ready to say I am done right there and then. But then I would remember that it was not on my stength I was doing any of it, It was God’s. I would say I wanted to do it all over again, and off I would go. I would get scared when I finally made it up on the water. I was literally flying through the air, and it was exhilarating, but scary. Then I would crash. While I was trying and trying again, suddenly a portion of the Serenity prayer popped into my head. (Don't ask me why) I repeated over and over to myself a jumbled bunch of words that went something like, or really nothing like the prayer (I think it went along the lines of. "God give me strength, and courage, and oh a little bit of wisdom too"). . They were what kept me going (or God working through them) for the next several tries.

After the fun experience of wake boarding, I got to thinking, why did I push myself, why did I keep trying? That feeling that I got, the smile on my face when I finally stood up on the water and boarded for almost an entire minute, that was why I did it. That is why I kept pushing myself. And that is why I try any new thing. I think that is why most people try new things. The feeling of accomplishment, of knowing you just finished something that you couldn’t do ten minutes ago, that is beautiful.

So I will conitue to try new things, even if they scare me. I will continue to ask God for serenity, courage and wisdom while I do them. And will definitely contiue to accomplish things. If I never try, I will never accomplish, and if I never accomplish where would that leave me?

Just incase you are wondering, yes, I am very very sore. Yes, I discovered muscles I did not know exsited, and yes I do feel like an 18 wheeler ran over me. I still think it was worth it though :)

~Rebekah