15 May Seeking Serenity by Trevor Hudson: Book Review
I was first introduced to the Serenity Prayer standing in a gift shop as a young girl and I remember first thinking it must be a quote taken directly from the Bible, for its truth was so impactful, and simply reading the verses made me feel a sense of calm and peace. It was only years later that I discovered that it was in fact attributed to an American theologian by the name of Reinhold Niebuhr. While it was not taken from the Bible as I had thought, the Serenity Prayer has ever since been a prayer that I return to when I am needing comfort. My excitement at discovering that there is an entire devotional dedicated to it was therefore not surprising.
Called “Seeking Serenity”, by Trevor Hudson, I cannot lie: at first I couldn’t help but question how an entire 365-page devotional could be made out of one single prayer without there being extreme repetition in it. Yet this is not the case at all! The author has not only managed to write 365 individual, daily devotions but, by exploring unique challenges and themes that, on the surface, one doesn’t immediately recognise, he has done it masterfully.
Before we unpack how he has accomplished this, let’s have a read to remind ourselves of the calming truth found in the Serenity Prayer:
God, grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change,
courage to change the things I can,
and wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time,
accepting hardship as a pathway to peace:
taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is,
not as I would have it:
trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His will –
that I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him forever in the next.
As Trevor Hudson himself describes in his foreword, the relevance of the Serenity Prayer is amplified by our current cultural context, where political and economic instability is being experienced the world over. Therefore, the need for incorporating serenity into our daily perspective and experience is even more paramount.
Hudson has taken the riches found in those 12 lines and expanded them into an in-depth journey that touches on all spheres of our daily spiritual walk, where each month of the year is dedicated to one line from the Serenity Prayer and guides the daily reflections. The structure is genius in that while each line may appear to be a standalone nugget of wisdom, it is in fact a ribbon tying together a gift of many treasures found in scripture and through reflection. The author unpacks this one by one through each day of the month, and each month of the year.
Weaving in his personal experiences and how he has discovered serenity in his own life’s struggles, we have a practical guideline with personal depth and heart, offering daily advice for life’s challenges using scripture as the unwavering compass. Each chapter ends with a ‘seeking serenity’ suggestion alongside the prayer, which helps the reader to apply the principles.
January kicks off the serenity journey with the opening line, “God grant me the serenity”, in which the author describes on a daily basis the different aspects of serenity and how we build this into our lives. As stated, he does this by giving relevant personal accounts and emphasises how we anchor ourselves in serenity through relationship with God.
We then move into February, March and April, specifically discussing through modern examples we encounter every day, the things that are not within our control, the things we can change, and all the aspects of change, which can take various forms. Firstly, in our own personal transformation, and secondly, in our being change-makers in the world. The most important aspect is knowing the difference, and here he explores wisdom and how we seek this through His word.
In May and June, he takes us on a journey of mindfulness, how to be truly present, and living in an attitude of gratitude, so that we can experience the true nature of God, and bringing us into deeper, loving relationship with him.
Between July and October, amongst other invaluable things, we step onto a path on which we reflect on the hardships of life, and on accepting the world as it is. These months take us into yet deeper layers of our spiritual journey, learning what it means to be truly surrendered to God’s will and not our own, in order to foster joy in knowing that God is fully in control, and that all things will be redeemed.
In November and December, we complete the circle of our 365-day journey, reflecting on the balance between earthly contentment and eternal joy, and offering a lens for each month that ultimately points to God’s ultimate promises that truly do help us to live with serenity.
One of the most beneficial traits of the devotional is that it is undated, and therefore may be used throughout your life, depending on seasons when serenity is most needed. If you love the Serentiy Prayer as much as I do, this book is for you, and I invite you to experience this special and unique devotion which will lead you on an enriching personal journey, saturated in serenity.
I am a volunteer blogger with a passion for God and writing. My hope is to help others choose faith – or to walk deeper in their faith – through my own introspections and observations.
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