Adapted Ending To Max Erhmann’s Desiderata Poem by Les Brighton

You are a child of the Creator God:
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you
God holds time and history,
holds your life and the lives of those dear to you, in his hand.
Therefore be at peace with God.
You don’t have to wonder who or what he might be
Because you have come to know him in Jesus Christ, crucified and risen.
You have tested the foundations of the universe and found them to be solid.
Suffering is a part of life, but deep down and so often it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Don’t seek happiness.
It come unsought, when you are doing something else,
Perhaps acting with courage or with faithfulness,
or reaching out to someone else with love.
Like a ray of sunlight through the clouds, suddenly it will be there, but not always.
Instead seize upon joy.
Seize upon it because beyond hope or deserving God has seized upon you.
And will not let you go.