Prayer for Perspective

                II Corinthians 12:6-10.

⁶ But if I wish to boast, I will not be a fool, for I will be speaking the truth. But I refrain from it, so that no one may think better of me than what is seen in me or heard from me, ⁷ even considering the exceptional character of the revelations. Therefore, to keep me from being too elated, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, to keep me from being too elated.  ⁸ Three times I appealed to the Lord about this, that it would leave me, ⁹ but he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power^[is made perfect in weakness.” So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. ¹⁰ Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.

                This will be a better, steadier and healthier day, Lord, if I can keep my sense of proportion sounder than it often is.  I do not ask or want a life in which I am never upset or excited.  Instead, what I ask and want is a life in which I will be upset or excited only when the cause is one that justifies the response.

                For you, a thousand years are as a day, and a day as a thousand years.  Time does not run out for you.  It does run out for me, and so I cannot hope to see as you see.  I cannot hope to measure things as you measure them.  Touch me, I pray, with enough of your vision and wisdom today so that, as the hours move along, I will be able to separate what really matters from what does not.

                May this be a day when:

¨   A minor irritant will trigger only irritation, not smoldering or explosive anger.

¨   I will not brood over each little apparent putdown, each little apparent slight.

¨   My imagination or laziness will not inflate a quite manageable task into a task that seems so large it would push me to my limits.

¨   I will measure my difficulties against the difficulties some other people have to deal with, and not against the fantasy of a life without pain or hardship.

¨   I will see the quiet, patient, easily overlooked loyalty of a family member or friend for the significant thing it is -- a beautiful infusion of grace into my life.

Amen.