God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
courage to change the things I can,
and wisdom to know the difference.
You are probably aware of the Serenity Prayer, written by the theologian Reinhold Niebuhr in the 1930's. Niebuhr used it in sermons and publications during the Second World War but it wasn't given a title until it became commonly used by Alcoholics Anonymous in the 1950's.
There have been lots of variations on this prayer, including a fair number which tend toward rudeness. I like the version by Father James Martin, a Roman Catholic priest in the United States who has been a strong advocate for LGBTQ2S+ people despite taking a lot of heat for doing so. Pope Francis has shown respect for Father Martin but many haven't. He has also written a best-selling book. Learning to Pray.
He does bring it home with:
Basically God,
grant me the wisdom to remember that I'm not you. Amen
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