Let's be a Channel for Peace
The Best Stories Still Inspire... and there's a reason for that
Photo By: Flickr/renee.hawk
J.R.R. Tolkien probably couldn't have known that he'd change the world when he published The Lord of the Rings in 1954. But here it is, 65 years later, and 150 million copies have sold and an epic movie series was released. Amazon is even getting ready to make a show! So... why does this story stay with us? Well, because the lessons that J.R.R. Tolkien imparts are still relevant today. They still inspire our hearts toward something bigger.
"Some believe that it is only great power that can hold evil in check. But that is not what I've found. I found that it is the small things, everyday deeds by ordinary folk that keeps the darkness at bay." --Gandalf
No Ordinary Deed
Everything we do matters, and can affect change. The things we do in this life matter and echo into eternity. Do not take for granted the "little" things you do. For no act of love, no matter how small, is ever wasted. So hold open that door. Let that car in front of you in traffic. Say a little prayer for the person who annoys you. And some day you'll see that those "little" things mattered the most of all.
"Even the smallest person can change the course of the future." --Lady Galadriel
WE MATTER
All of us, at times, feel small, that we can't make a difference, or that we don't matter. And yet that couldn't be further from the truth. Think about how many lives you touch every day. Your kids, your parents, your friends, your family, your co-workers, that person at the grocery story, the Facebook friend. We don't know what a single smile or kind act can do. Sometimes... something we think is small changes the course of their world.
"There's some good in this world, Mr. Frodo. And it's worth fighting for." --Samwise Gamgee
THERE'S ALWAYS GOODNESS
This world is a rough place. There is so much hatred, violence, and death. Reading the news can be overwhelming and depressing. But J.R.R. Tolkien reminds us that there is good in this world. There's good in humanity. There's good in us. God made this world and called it good, and we need to cling to that even when it's hard or even seems impossible. And more so than that, the goodness in this world is worth protecting and fighting for. And if sometimes you can't see the good in the world...then be it.
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