Give Me Success

(Based on words of Ralph Waldo Emerson)

Lord, grant that I may laugh often and much;
let me win the respect of intelligent people
and the affection of children;
help me to earn the appreciation of honest critics
and to endure the betrayal of false friends.

Teach me to appreciate beauty;
to find the best in others;
to leave the world a bit better,
by the children I leave behind,
the lives I affect,
the work I do,
and the things I change.

And let me not only know
that others have breathed easier because I have lived,
but let me live--and die--knowing
that others will join me in heaven because I have lived.

So give me success, in Jesus' name, amen.