"Hope is Kindled"

I came across this pin on Pinterest yesterday and was amazed to realize I could still recite the Lord of the Rings poem it comes from...

source

All that is gold does not glitter
Not all those who wander are lost
The old that is strong does not wither
Deep roots are not reached by the frost

From the ashes a fire shall be woken
A light from the shadows shall spring
Renewed shall be blade that was broken
The crownless again shall be king.

These verses came back to me at a good time. One of the things I LOVE about the "Lord of the Rings" movie trilogy (I know, I know, it's also a book trilogy. And yes, I have read them! But I have seen the movies many more times than I have read the books. I think if books had soundtracks I might be drawn to read them more frequently, because I really think it's the music that brings a movie to life for me, but alas, I digress...) is the overarching theme of courage and HOPE.

"There is still hope." -Arwen

 "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’ll shine out the clearer." -Samwise

 "Hope is kindled." -Gandalf

"Even the smallest person can change the course of the future." -Galadriel

"A day may come when the courage of Men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship, but it is not this day. An hour of wolves and shattered shields when the Age of Men comes crashing down, but it is not this day! This day we fight!" -Aragorn

"I come back to you now at the turn of the tide." -Gandalf

Even when things look the most grim, the characters in this story take courage and keep hope. Occasionally they may have a moment of despair, but they always get back up and keep going. They never give up. That resonates with me SO MUCH. It inspires hope when my own story seems to take a dark turn.

My devotional last Saturday included the following statement:

"Whenever we set out to do something good, even when we're certain that God wants us to do it, we shouldn't be surprised when the situation gets worse before it gets better. This doesn't prove that we're doing the wrong thing; it just reminds us that we need God to accomplish everything."
-Julie Ackerman Link

When we face difficult times, we can either lose heart and despair or we can turn our faces to our heavenly Father and find in Him the courage and hope to keep moving, trusting that all is not lost and the best is yet to come. I'm thankful He can use even something like "The Lord of the Rings" to remind me of that.