Acceptance

Jordan was explaining to me the process in which people in general deal with difficult circumstances.  The process is:  denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance.  To be honest, I haven’t given much thought to the actual process, but the last word “acceptance” keeps lingering in my mind.  In a book called “Respectable Sins”, Jerry Bridges highlights some of the thoughts of Amy Carmichael on this subject.  She says that it is neither resignation nor submission but in acceptance that we find peace.  We’ve all seen people who have resigned or submitted to something, but not accepted.  I see acceptance as something close to trusting God.  To accept by definition is “to consider or hold as true”.  Am I far off to see this word so closely related to trustug God?  The word accpetance seems peaceful.  I am reminded of the serenity prayer…

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.