A Prayer by Thomas Merton

Sometimes someone else's words can express my feelings better than I can express them myself. This comes from the pen of Thomas Merton, a Catholic Monk, Christian Mystic, and poet. It's from his book Thoughts on Solitude.

A PRAYER

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.