I Cannot Do This Alone....

This prayer by Dietrich Bonhoeffer seems appropriate for all of us at some level. We all struggle, to some degree or other with broken relationships, addictions, grief, confusion, a sense of purpose and meaning, stress, prayer, loneliness, restlessness, bitterness, forgiveness  ~ with the junk of our daily life.

I CANNOT DO THIS ALONE

O God, early in the morning I cry to you.

Help me to pray
And to concentrate my thoughts on you;

I cannot do this alone.

In me there is darkness,

But with you there is light;

I am lonely, but you do not leave me;

I am feeble in heart, but with you there is help;

I am restless, but with you there is peace.

In me there is bitterness, but with you there is patience;

I do not understand your ways,

But you know the way for me….

Restore me to freedom,

And enable me to live now

That I may answer before you and before men.

Lord whatever this day may bring,

Your name be praised.

"Bonhoeffer was a brilliant young pastor and a theologian, whose deep faith in God convicted him to get involved in a plot to kill Hitler. When Hitler learned of Bonhoeffer’s involvement he flew into a  violent rage. As one of his final acts of revenge, just three weeks before he committed suicide, Hitler condemned the young pastor to death.

Bonhoeffer was hanged on April 9, 1945 at Flossenburg Concentration camp.  But by all accounts, Bonhoeffer went to his death at peace with himself and God and with no regrets.  

Just before he died, Bonhoeffer told a fellow prisoner, 'This is the end. But for me, the beginning of life.'”

 

Bonhoeffer's life, motivated by deep personal conviction and  the injustice around him, made a decision to act on his conviction, strengthened by faith, acting without hesitation and with great courage on what he knew he needed to do ...... for him, the cost was great. 

His story inspires me to live my life with more authenticity and conviction, a life that is a reflection of the very things I claim to believe, a life that echos God's intention and purpose in thought and deed for the sake of others  ...... a life of doing what I know I need to do .... however, I cannot do this alone. 

Yielding all I know about me to all I know about Him.