The Time That Is Given You

Standing at the edge of the shore, Frodo realizes, he is standing at the edge of decision.  The edges of war have already begun full pursuit against all that used to be.  Contemplative, he remembers in a moments pause-  the echo of Gandalph's wise words, spoken to him midst the darkness of a mine.  Though Gandalph has fallen into the depths of shadow, his words have not. A distinct echo of a moment in a mine; between the two of them, awakens to life within Frodo. 

"I wish the ring would have never come to me.  I wish none of this had ever happened." said Frodo.  "So do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide.  All you have to decide- is what to do with the time that is given you." replied Gandalph. - Lord of the Rings- The Fellowship of the Ring.

Frodo stands with his gaze, against the waters edge. Seeing only in part, the depth of what lies before him; his tear filled eyes stream with fortitude as he resolutely steps into the path laid out before him.  It was no longer a moment for wishing what had never happened.  It was no longer a moment for wishing he had not, the ring.  He did.  And he was the only one, who was meant to have it.  It was a calling only he could complete.  An encroaching enemy, would not relinquish its quest against him.  All he had in that moment, was the echo of a word.  The echo of a reply, from a friend whom he had broken bread with.  And like a tatoo on his soul, those words branded him with bravery.  He was the only one who could decide what to do with the time that was given him.

As tears of fear and conviction fell from his eyes, so did my tears fall.  I was going through a time in my life, where I was carrying a ring, all too similar, as Frodo.  It encompassed an enormity of evil.  As Frodo, I was standing at the edge of a shore that would lead and take me over much unknown terrain.  Terrain that would be filled with, much darkness.  Weakness.  Challenges to scale, much as Frodo scaled on his journey to Mordor.  I would encounter cliffs of emotions that would tempt me, to turn back.  Bogs of depression, that would tempt me to, despair, with out return.  Frigid, trembling tones of one's voice- once safe...would now haunt me.  Words I wanted to trust, filled with deceit.  Words from a person, where safety should be found, were now death and evil to my spirit.  The emotional suicide was on far too many levels of loved ones.  And now, the pursuit of such a death, was pursuing me.


We don't know; when such a moment will face us.  Life does not sit back and say, "now, for our next act....". It does not even always give us, warning.  And if it does,...well, sometimes, the evil is so covered in 'light', that we don't see it coming.  Until, all of a sudden, one sunny day in the shire of our life, we are being both pursued and pursuing.  We find ourselves...carrying the breadth and width of evil around our neck, while it is hanging at the heart of all we treasure, within.  WE are now, at the center of a war.

Frodo, feels the ring's heaviness.  He holds it in his hand.  It hangs close to his heart.  When he puts the ring on...he disappear's from the view of everyone around him.  However, he appears in clear view to the very realm of evil pursuing his life.  He is found by that evil, when he wears the ring.  The wearing of that ring, both helps him escape the present evil in front of him, yet, sets him before the center of the eye, ordering the very pursuit of his life.  


Have you ever been touched by evil in such a way that- what you thought was, no longer is?  Where, everything that was once said, is now being filtered through a lens where, you have to question intentions.  Question motives.  Question reasons.  Every single thing ever said you thought was true, feels like it's coming, untrue?  And it is happening in your very home?   


Have you ever been around something that, it felt easier to just ...like Frodo, 'put the ring on', because then, at least for a moment everything sort of "went away"?  But, at the same time, put you right in view of the very evil ordaining such pursuits?


For me, it was putting on the idea that, 'this didn't really happen'.  Then, I could still talk about him, and it...didn't seem like so much death really occurred.  OR, if I just considered all the good that I had experienced, that somehow made what happened, well, easier to understand.  OR, maybe if I just thought about his upbringing, then it made it easier to "psychologise' about what happened, and not really see him as having done it.  We find ways, do we not, to try and 'wear the ring'...so that somehow, it just goes away?  Rather than carry around our neck the reality of what it is that has been, is, and could be happening.  Don't we really try hard ...for years, to just not see the truth, sometimes?  


But then; -that- moment comes.  That moment when the enemy has encroached so closely, we are thrust into a place where we have been given the truth of the ring.  And in that moment, we have been given the assignment to make a choice...who will carry this ring to Mordor?  Who will carry it to that place from whence it came and destroy it?  Who will stop the generations of silent sins, washed beneath the bread of convenience?  So that, our next meal is not one of the alternative's? 


Oh...the sorrow, washing in a way that feels so, unwieldy! The weight of suffering, wrenching against our weary soul.  The unimaginable, unlocking, unfolding events, seemingly impossible to tread. 


But then...we hear the echo.  "So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide.  All they have to decide, is what to do with the time given them."


And it's there...


we pause.


It's there...


we listen.


It's there...


we find something ....


greater than ourselves...


beckoning us to a greater story, 


than what has already been.


A greater purpose...


than we have ever imagined possible.


A greater hope...


than we ever once believed.


A greater strength...


than we had before this moments edge faced us.


We decide.


We decide to carry the ring, 


to Mordor.  To the truth of whence it came...from the very pit of evil itself.


We decide to stop...


doing what generations have done.


We decide, to believe...


in a God where all things are possible.


We decide, to lean...


not on our own understanding...


but on The ONE who has the ring of all knowledge, 
past, present and future, 
in the ring formed by thorns...
formed by a cross...

Jesus.


Who on that cross, wearing a ring of thorns, enduring all that evil could encroach, defeated the very core of evil itself,
Satan.


We lean on that truth...as we decide;
 what to do with the time that is given us.




And when we do, 
we will find...
Jesus.


Dear King Jesus,


For many years, 
the ring of power has ruled.  
But, not any more!  
Jesus, so many hearts, with lives, are standing 
at the very same 
     edges, 
Frodo was.  


At the edge of many decisions, 
that simply overwhelm.  
Holy Spirit...embrace them now, 
in that place of great trial and pain.  


As tears pour down...
falling like rain, 
with great echo's as Frodo,
 wishing the ring had never come...
find them in that very place. 


Meet them. 


Wash over them 
with Your presence, 
that it might distinguish
 the presence of the evil one 
around them. 


 As they feel the great awareness
 of the encroaching enemy...
come now Holy Spirit.

And like Gandalph said in the mines, we say to the enemy encroaching upon them..."You (Satan), Shall NOT PASS!".  


No matter what cliffs
 of emotion, 
bogs of depression and despair
 surround them...
Jesus by your Holy Spirit now...
surround them with your Hope.  Surround them


with Your Peace, 
 Your comfort 
that surpasses all understanding... 


 Help them to see, Lord...
what to do 
with the time 
given them. 


 Help them remember 
            echo's of Your Word 
in their spirit.  


Lead them to Your words, 
that they might echo as they take their ring...
into their Mordor.  


Help them in temptation...
to remember, You are their way out. 


Help them to see...
the bread of convenience 
is not satisfying, 


as the bread of Your life is.  


In the midst of sorrow that finds
 itself, 
unwieldy,
 help them remember in Your sorrow,


 You too...
    dripped 
       drops 
         of blood...crying out to the Father, 
"please take this cup from me".  


Help them, find a way to love, 
even when they don't feel love.  


Help them find a way to choose, 
even when they feel they can't choose.  

And help them believe, 
  You are with them, 
   every where they go...
    
Amen.