Let me not pray to be sheltered from dangers
but to be fearless in facing them.
Let me not beg for the stilling of my pain
but for the heart to conquer it.
Let me not look for allies in life's battlefield
but to my own strength.
Let me not crave in anxious fear to be saved
but hope for the patience to win my freedom.
Grant that I may not be a coward,
feeling Your mercy in my success alone;
But let me find the the grasp of Your hand in my failure.
- Rabindranath Tagore - 1916
I was looking in my email drafts folder and found where I had saved this poem on 11/5/07. I don't remember where I found it; I probably stole it off someone else's blog. While I find no sin or weakness in turning to friends and allies for strength, the author is right; one must find courage from within. It is so easy to find mercy in success, but so difficult to recognize it in adversity.
7 comments:
Ah, my queen- my love. I looked within- once and that was enough. I would never go back. It was all dark, squishy and blood and guts and stuff supported by a network of bones...
Ah Chup, my knight, my darling, looking within is meant figuratively rather than literally. You weren't supposed to slice yourself open to do it. You should have met me sooner, you could have avoided the scar...
I feel as though I am interupting something naughty here.. Once again I will turn around and go back where I came from....
HAHA Naughty no, ornery yes.
All any of us needs is faith that we can solve/endure anything to make our trials more tolerable and conquerable.
As long as we always remember that we made it through the last "worst thing that has ever happened" we will always be able to survive the current, "worst thing that has ever happened."
My, my, my- now it all becomes perfectly clear.
Mz, making it through this has helped me to know I can face the next worst thing with more confidence, for sure.
Chup, I am glad I could be of service ;P
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