T’was Gandalf who once said to Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit, “You will have to do without pocket handkerchiefs, and a great many other things, before we reach our journey’s end, Bilbo Baggins. You were born to the rolling hills and little rivers of the Shire, but home is now behind you. The world is ahead.”
I don’t know if you have seen or read about the crazy adventure Bilbo then embarked on? The guy got a hold of an intense and potent ring, journeyed with a crew of dwarves, entertained dragons, and still somehow managed to save the day. What a guy, and what an adventure!
Fast forward to the 21st Century, and here I am getting ready for an adventure. My own sort of epic adventure! Although I may not be venturing to the Lonely Mountain as Bilbo and his squad were, I can relate to the words that Gandalf shares with Bilbo.
“Home is now behind you. The world is ahead.”
I got to thinking how this was quite the parallel to my life. Now, this might have been because I recently watched all 3 parts of the movie series back to back. But more importantly than the 9 hours I spent engulfed in this tale, I really am now preparing to embark on my own journey away from home, into the world.
The question that has lingered in my heart over the past few weeks has been whether or not I am prepared for the upcoming changes.
Am I ready to leave my Shire? Am I prepared to leave behind the pleasant commodities of life I have? Am I ready to put all important relationships in my present life on a geographical “hold” for the next year? You bet I don’t feel ready; and each day that passes as that day in early September approaches, a part of me is sad to leave behind these cherished treasures in my current homeland. Frankly, it’s uncomfortable.
But when is change ever comfortable? I am sure that each of us has had a moment or two in our lives when things have changed that has made us uncomfortable. The fact that I am hesitant and worried about some of the changes I’ll be going through in the coming weeks and months, by leaving home behind and leaping into the world, does not need to stop me from jumping into what God has in store.
Bilbo was afraid – yet he still left the Shire for the world; likewise I can’t be letting my fears and hesitations keep me from what is ahead because in reality, the best is yet to come.
No dragons will be slain during my 11 months away, I doubt I’ll come across a potent ring or a hoodlum of dwarves, and I probably won’t have room in my pack to fit a pocket handkerchief from home. In addition, I might be a tad afraid of what’s to come just like you might be a tad afraid of the unknowns in your lives. But let’s not let that stop us from hiking away from our “Shire” and exploring the world.
“For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” 2 Timothy 1:7
