God of our life,
There are days when the burdens we carry
chafe our shoulders and weigh us down;
when the road seems dreary and endless,
the skies gray and threatening;
when our lives have no muisic in them,
and our hearts are lonely,
and our souls have lost their courage.
Flood the path with light,
run our eyes to where
the skies are full of promise;
tune our hearts to brave music;
give us the sense of comradeship
with heroes and saints of every age;
and so quicken our spirits
that we may be able to encourage
the souls of all who journey with us
on the road of life, to Your honor and glory.
~St. Augustine
We are all struggling with our own challenges. Usually we try to encourage ourselves to push aside our challenges, our woes, and say "it could be worse"... but this prayer is a unique one. Rather than minizing our own struggles, St. Augustine encourages us to acknowledge that things might just SUCK right now, and guides us to ask for God to show us His hope on the path.
That is such a healthier way to face our daily lives! Acknowledge that we are weighed down, and then ask that God show us the other side of our struggles, and guide us to where we are already going!
We are never truly alone.
