A Time For All Things

Lazuli Bunting ~ Shaw Ranch ~ after a rain ~ photo by Jodene Shaw.

I love this conversation 
from the movie The Two Towers (Lord of the Rings) 
between Frodo and Sam:


Frodo: I can't do this, Sam.
Sam: I know. It's all wrong. By rights we shouldn't even be here. But we are. It's like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger, they were. And sometimes you didn't want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it's only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something, even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. 


Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn't. 
They kept going. 
Because they were holding on to something. 

Frodo: What are we holding onto, Sam? 

Sam: That there's some good in this world, Mr. Frodo... 


and it's worth fighting for.


It takes careful consideration to know when is the right action.  Only each one of us can really determine it through prayer and wisdom, and trust in the grace of God.  We can always hang on to Him.  And we can always let things go to His care.  The object of our hanging on or letting go is key.  Those are two constants I have found in my life.  I can hang on to Him and I can let go of my need to have or control other people, circumstances, issues, things.  So much of my hanging on has to do with my control.


There are people and relationships, goals and dreams, plans, beliefs that we need to hang on to . . . to fight the good fight for.  And there are ones to let go of . . . there are times to release them.


It's not always easy to know. 
There are times that inside ourself, we are the only ones who know the right time . . . even if everyone else around us has a different opinion.  Often those we love, respect and admire will have a different opinion about the very same thing.  So we have to decide for ourself.  And let their opinions go.  Usually that is the hardest thing for me.  But bit, by bit, I am taking ownership of my decisions and it has been freeing.


There have been things I thought I would hang onto that I found were necessary to let go of . . . and I am so glad that I did.  There are commitments, covenants, promises that I hang on to and fight for and nurture and grow.