What Will You Choose?

I was watching The Lord of the Rings this past weekend for the millionth time. I never tire of that movie. It illustrates the quintessential battle between good and evil. There are so many quotable moments in the film, but I wanted to share one scene in particular that has always stood out for me. In this scene, Frodo and Gandalf are speaking. Frodo says, “I wish the ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened.” Gandalf replies, “So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”

Frodo was given a task and a challenge that, at the moment, seem insurmountable. Frodo faces dangers that he could never imagine with is own mind. He is longing to return to the simple life he once knew, in which he had not a care in the world. Then, suddenly, his world is turned upside down and he is forced to find strength within himself that he was never sure he actually possessed. Yet, time and time again, he presses onward and faces his fears. In the end, with help and support from his friends, he emerges victorious.

Can you relate to how Frodo is feeling here? Have you ever been through a situation that seemed impossible to you at the start, but once you pressed forward, even with great trepidation, you faced your fears and conquered the task? I know I have. I also know I have been in situations that I wished I never had to be. I have had to witness some very sad and unpleasant things in my life. I know most of you reading this have as well. Let’s face it; bad things happen to good people all the time. It makes us question our faith at times. It tests our resolve and it makes us feel as if we have no control over anything.

This feeling of being out of control can paralyze us, make us fearful, kill our will to continue and steal our joy, if we allow it. For me, I have accepted that control is really just an illusion. We have complete control over very little in this life. Do not get me wrong; the things we can control, we need to control, like our behavior, for example. However, we simply do not have control over the major things that are unforeseen. That is where faith comes into play. Isaiah, the Old Testament prophet, was a strong example of God’s faithful. In Isaiah 40:28-29 he says with great passion, “Haven’t you known, haven’t you heard that the everlasting God, Adonai, the Creator of the ends of the earth, does not grow tired or weary? His understanding cannot be fathomed. He invigorates the exhausted; he gives strength to the powerless.” Really look at what is being said here. God never fails. He sees everything and He is our strength in times of trouble. He provides what we need to face any trial we have to face. That is a promise He has always given us and I, for one, believe Him.

We all wish bad things would not happen to us or those whom we love, but just as Gandalf says, it is not for us to decide nor is it within our control. We do have choices though. We can lament about all the bad things that have befallen us and we can worry about the bad things that may befall us in the future, but all that does is steal the joy that we could be having, even during the darker times in our lives. The better choice is this. We can live in today and seek our present joy. We are reminded time and time again that all we have is today. Gandalf says that we can choose what to do with the time we are given. In Psalm 118:24 it says, “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Bad things have happened and will happen again. That is a certainty over which we have no choice or control, but we can choose joy today and not waste a second of the time we have been given. Choose not to lament. Choose to be glad! God bless.