I have been wrestling with myself (or I suppose myselves with all of my different hats) to come up with my first blog post regarding my fast approaching departure for Kenya. The writer in me wanted something beautiful and polished, raw and real, to serve and to touch the soul. The teacher in me wanted to report the data and come up with some catchy slogans and mantras that would carry us forward. The child in me wanted jump up and down to share my excitement and my fear and maybe even brag a bit. Thankfully, all of this mess in my head, all of my contradictions and humanness, is refined in the Lord. Cheers to the adventure we are about to begin.
O Jesus! meek and humble of heart, Hear me.
From the desire of being esteemed,
Deliver me, Lord. (repeat after each line)
From the desire of being loved and admired,
From the desire of being patted on the back,
From the desire to strive and reach,
From the desire to be successful,
From the desire of being approved,
From the fear of being humiliated,
From the fear of failure,
From fear of being alone,
From the fear of being forgotten,
From the need to compare,
From the need to compete.
That others may be loved more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it. (repeat after each line)
That others may be esteemed more than I ,
That, in the opinion of the world,
others may increase and I may decrease,
That others may be chosen and I set aside,
That others may be praised and I unnoticed,
That others may be preferred to me in everything,
That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should.
O Jesus! meek and humble of heart, Hear me.
From the desire of being esteemed,
Deliver me, Lord. (repeat after each line)
From the desire of being loved and admired,
From the desire of being patted on the back,
From the desire to strive and reach,
From the desire to be successful,
From the desire of being approved,
From the fear of being humiliated,
From the fear of failure,
From fear of being alone,
From the fear of being forgotten,
From the need to compare,
From the need to compete.
That others may be loved more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it. (repeat after each line)
That others may be esteemed more than I ,
That, in the opinion of the world,
others may increase and I may decrease,
That others may be chosen and I set aside,
That others may be praised and I unnoticed,
That others may be preferred to me in everything,
That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should.