From Thursday’s collect in Thomas Merton, A Book of Hours (emphasis added):
My mind is scattered among things, not because of my work, but because I am not detached and I do not attend first of all to God. On the other hand, I do not attend to Him because I am so absorbed in all these objects and events. I have to wait on His grace. But how stubborn and slow my nature is. And how I keep confusing myself and complicating things for myself by useless twisting and turning.
What I need most of all is the grace to really accept God as He gives Himself to me in every situation.
— Thomas Merton, originally from Entering Silence
Father, help me to accept You as You give yourself to me in every situation, in every moment.
Surrender to grace —
not give up but give over.
Live in the present moment —
Learn to float with, not swim against,
the current of the present moment.
To accept the gift of now —
Not as I would want it,
but how it is.
Stop resisting —
Receive…
and then give thanks.