It is a unique personalized version of a familiar prayer:

"God, grant me the Serenity to accept the people I cannot change, the Courage to change the one I can, and the Wisdom to know it's me."

But, when things get tough. can we personalize this version a bit more by remembering those have gone before us?

The next time you feel like God can't use or change you, just remember...

            ●  Abraham lied; he and Sarah were too old to partake of what God said was their destiny

            ●  Isaac was a daydreamer

            ●  Jacob was a liar and conniver

            ●  Leah was considered homely

            ●  Joseph was abused

            ●  Moses had a stuttering problem

            ●  Gideon was afraid

            ●  Samson was a womanizer

            ●  Rahab was a prostitute

            ●  Jeremiah and Timothy were too young

            ●  David had an affair and was a murderer

            ●  Elijah was suicidal

            ●  Isaiah preached naked

            ●  Jonah ran from God

            ●  Naomi was a widow, her daughter-in-law an immigrant

            ●  Job went bankrupt and lost all his children

            ●  John the Baptist ate bugs and wore strange clothes

            ●  Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego all worked for a pagan government

            ●  Hosea was married to a harlot

            ●  Esther married outside her religion to a control freak

            ●  Peter denied Christ and was prone to impulsive violent behavior

            ●  Noah got drunk

            ●  Solomon practiced hedonism and mass polygamy

            ●  The Disciples fell asleep while praying

            ●  Martha worried about everything

            ●  The Samaritan woman was divorced, more than once

            ●  Zaccheus was too small and had an unfavored profession

            ●  Paul was too religious and committed genocide

            ●  Timothy had an ulcer...AND

            ●  Lazarus was dead!

God used every one of these individuals in spite of their flaws.

No more excuses now.

God can use you to your full potential if you will just get out of the way!

Besides you aren't the message, you are just the messenger.

                                                                Original forwarded by Keith Murphy, modified by Art Landing