Grant me the Serenity to accept the things I can’t change, the Courage to change the things I can, and the Wisdom to know the difference.
I can’t control the outcome of the election, but I can (and did) do my part by voting.
I can’t control people’s demonstrative actions leading up to and following the election, but I can do my part by continuing to be decent toward others.
I can’t control what the pandemic and the election may mean for life as we know it, but I can do my part by waking up, putting on my pants (and my mask), and doing things the same way I do every day.
I don’t know what will happen in the next 3 months and beyond, but this is a little reminder to myself that fear and anxiety do no good if I can’t change what I’m fearful and anxious about.
Whatever I can’t control, I need to let go of. I need to have faith, and turn to God even when the world around me turns to greed and hate. No one said our faith would go untested, nor did anyone say those tests would be easy, short, or finite. I need to remember put aside my pride and self-righteousness, and to not judge my neighbors for beliefs I don’t agree with. God knows best what’s right and wrong, and He will take care of wrongdoing in His own time.
To put that in more secular terms: we need to trust that this will work itself out. The world doesn’t stop spinning and time doesn’t stop ticking based on election results or the actions of the people around us. A lot of people will be unhappy with how this plays out, but fighting with each other only begets more fighting. I will take up the causes I believe in, and try my best to respect the people around me. Life doesn’t stop, and we have no choice but to keep going, so let’s keep going.