"Accept the Inevitable Tumult and Struggle"

This prayer is by Etty Hillesum from her diaries published posthumously in a book called An Interrupted Life. I have been reading it these last couple weeks and, as a wise friend told me, it is a trustworthy roadmap for the spiritual journey. And Etty is fast becoming one of the best companions I have found along this path.

Etty Hillesum, 1914 - 1943, died at Auschwitz

God, take me by Your hand, I shall follow You dutifully, and not resist too much. I shall evade none of the tempests life has in store for me, I shall try to face it all as best I can. But now and then grant me a short respite. I shall never again assume, in my innocence, that any peace that comes my way will be eternal. I shall accept all the inevitable tumult and struggle. I delight in warmth and security, but I shall not rebel if I have to suffer cold, should You so decree. I shall follow wherever Your hand leads me and shall try not to be afraid. I shall try to spread some of my warmth, of my genuine love for others, wherever I go. But we shouldn't boast of our love for others. We cannot be sure it really exists. I don't want to be anything special, I only want to try to be true to that in me which seeks to fulfill its promise. I sometimes imagine that I long for the seclusion of a nunnery. But I know that I must seek You amongst people, out in the world.