Growing Older & Wiser

Dale Evans (wife of singer & cowboy actor Roy Rogers) loved Jesus with all her heart & made sure everyone in Hollywood new it. Here is one of her prayers:

“Lord, thou knowest better than I know myself, that I am growing older, & will someday be old. Keep me from getting too talkative; particularly from the fatal habit of thinking I must say something on every subject & on every occasion. Deliver me from the need to try & straighten out everybody’s affairs. Keep my mind free from the recital of endless details; give me wings to get to the point. I ask for grace to listen to the tails of others ‘pains; but seal my lips when it comes to the my own aches & pains, for they are increasing & my love of rehearsing them gets sweeter as the years go by. I ask not for improved memory, but for a growing humility & less cocksureness, especially when my memory seems to clash with the memory of others.

Teach me that occasionally I may be mistaken. Keep me reasonably sweet. I do not necessarily want to be a saint – some of them are so hard to live with. But a sour old woman (or man) is one of the crowning works of the devil. Make me thoughtful but not moody, helpful, but not bossy. With my vast store of wisdom it seems a pity not to use it; but thou knowest Lord, I want a few friends at the end. So give me, I pray, the ability to see blessings in unexpected trials & goodness in less-than-perfect people. And give me the grace to tell them so, in Christ’s name, Amen.”