Here’s a favorite prayer that has traveled long and far with me, a comfort when clouds loomed murkily on the horizon.
“My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following Your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please You does in fact please You. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this You will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it. Therefore will I trust You always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for You are ever with me and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.”
Thomas Merton, Thoughts in Solitude
Western Cape Province, South Africa
grace, peace & well-traveled prayers
Virginia : )
Roses in the Rubble 
A beautiful picture and prayer, …
I’ve carried a tattered card of this prayer in my Bible to many places – pulling it out often to reflect & pray. Hugs, Carol-Jo! 🙏🤗🙏
Thomas Merton has a way of saying the most profound thoughts in simple words. Thanks for sharing.
His writings have had a profound impact on my life. In my early 20s I went on my 1st weeklong silent retreat @ Gethsemane Abbey in Kentucky where he was a Trappist monk. A seminal experience! ✨🙏✨
I have never done a week of silence. I can only imagine how that could change a person’s soul.
Beautiful mantra
It is, indeed, a profound prayer for pivotal moments in our lives – years, months, days! 🙏🌟🙏
Familiar passages from Thomas Merton Virginia. I blogged about this prayer once. I also have the hardcover volume of Thoughts in Solitude.
Thoughts in Solitude is one of my favs (along with his autobiographical Seven Story Mountain & New Seeds of Contemplation & & &…) In my early 20s I took an evening class @ Georgetown University in DC studying his books – & somehow managed to read all of them whilst working a crazy 24/7-ish job! ✨🙏✨
Haven’t read Seven Storey Mountain yet. Read some of his other books when I was in college.
It’s a great book – I haven’t read it again for awhile, but remember it had a big impact. So glad you are a Merton groupie, too!
beautiful prayer and the heart of life.
Amen, Michele. Whatever life throws at us, however we may tumble & stumble – we are not alone! ✨🙏✨
that knowledge makes all the difference.