I Have No Idea Where I am Going

My Lord God,
I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end
nor do I really know myself,
and the fact that I think I am following your will
does not mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please you
does in fact please you.
And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.
I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.
And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road,
though I may know nothing about it.
Therefore will I trust you always though
I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.
I will not fear, for you are ever with me,
and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.

Thomas Merton

A wonderful prayer by the Trappist Monk Thomas Merton. I appreciate the stark honesty of “Lord I have no idea where I am going.” And I’ve always loved the line, “The desire to please you, pleases you.” It’s ultimately a prayer about trust, even as we walk in shadows, knowing that God is present and trusting in the presence.

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