Friends,
For those who believe that "Prayer Changes Things" here's a short piece
from my mothers collection of poems, readings & essays. (She taught English
in college - 1923 - 1925 before raising a family reordered her priorities.)
"A Prayer Of Age"
"Lord, Thou knowest better than I know myself that I am growing older
and will some day be old, so I may need a little extra help from now on.
It's not that I mind the stiff joints. It's only that I don't want the
years to let me grow crabby and narrow-minded. I want to hold on to my
sense of humor and to keep the corners of my mouth turned up. I want to
able to see young folks from a broad viewpoint and to rejoice with them in
their modern freedom and ambitions and in their fineness.
"I want to keep step with the world of today and to accept new ideas and
new standards without unjust criticism or comparisons. If I can't keep in
the harness and help pull, at least I don't want to hang back and drag. I
want to look ahead with hope for, and faith in, the future of this old
planet. I want folks to visit with me because they enjoy it and not because
they consider it a duty.
"Keep me from becoming talkative, and particularly from the fatal habit
of thinking I must say something on every subject and on every occasion.
Release me from craving to try to straighten out everybody's affairs. Make
me thoughtful, but not moody; helpful, but not bossy. With my vast store of
wisdom it seems a pity not to use it all - but Thou knowest, Lord, that I
want a few friends at the end.
"Keep my mind free from recital of endless details. Give me words to
get to the point. Seal my lips on many aches and pains - they are
increasing and my love of rehearsing them is becoming sweeter as the years
go by. I ask for grace enough to listen to the tales of other's pain. Help
me to endure them with patience. Teach me the glorious lesson that
occasionally it is possible that I might be mistaken.
"Keep me reasonably sweet; I do not want to be a saint - some of them
are so hard to live with, but a sour old person is one of the crowning works
of the Devil. "Help me to extract all possible fun out of life. There are
so many funny things around us and I don't want to miss any of them.
"So maybe I'll need a little extra help from now on, Lord. Please help
me to be a serene person. And thanks a lot, AMEN.
- - - author unknown
