There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 ~The Ramblings of a Ragamuffin ~ Good morning dear friends...hope this finds you warm on a very cold morning. My ramble today, I wish to give credit and thanks to Laura Lillian Polwart, who shared something profound to me, which has brought about this post today. Recently, we went and saw the movie The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies, and toward the end of the movie, Bilbo sits next to the lifeless body of Thorin, who is killed in battle, mourning his loss, and feeling great emptiness and despair. Gandalf, the grey wizard, joins him and without a word spoken, takes out his pipe and begins cleaning it as Bilbo looks on in bewilderment,(picture attached). The scene was a very sad scene in the movie, and yet to watch Gandalf begin to loudly clean his pipe as Bilbo watched on actually was quite amusing to me, and later as we left the theater, Laura shared how this scene struck her profoundly and this is what I would like to elaborate on with her permission. She began to share with me that in life and circumstances, there will always be things that happen that we can not control, things not fair, things that may turn our lives upside down...but we choose how to accept these moments of time. She shared and I quote, Yes death happened, yes things seem to be at there worst, but you still need to clean out your pipe before you smoke it and life does continue...life does continue...life will still happen! Then she reminded me of another quote by Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings...All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us. In a moment of loss and despair, brokenness and pain...without uttering a single word, Gandalf joins his dear friend Bilbo, and through the simple act of cleaning out his pipe before smoking it, explains something so profound to Bilbo which he would carry back to his home in the Shire...life does continue! Life does continue! Much will take place within the heartbeat of TIME, but you will continue on until your journey here on earth is done. Solomon penned the words of the opening scripture concerning time, and i believe it fits well with this ramble and again I want to thank Laura for sharing what she shared and allowing me to ramble on more about it. I believe all of us have some Bilbo Baggins within us...finding ourselves on a journey that honestly at times makes us feel lost, scared, broken, weary, unprepared and utterly disqualified for the calling before us. Solomon reminds us that so much takes place within the heartbeat of time...birth, death, planting seeds that spring forth full of life, pulling up by the roots those things that need uprooted, killing, healing, tearing down, building up, weeping, laughing, mourning, dancing, scattering, gathering, embracing, letting go, searching, giving up, keeping, giving away, tearing, mending, stillness and quiet, speaking your heart and mind, loving, hating, times of war and times of peace. It has been said that we are given two dates....our birth date and our death date, and what we have in between is time to decide just what we will do with that time given to us! Much like what Gandalf tells Frodo in Lord of the Rings....All we have to decide is what to do with the TIME that is given us. My friends....what will you and I do with the time given to us by God? Often like Bilbo, we find ourselves overwhelmed with the journey of life...we see so much during our time...death, pain, despair, storms, hurt, brokenness, war, hate, killing, weeping....but as well we see life, healing, hope, rainbows, reconciliation and renewal, peace, love, new birth and dancing. Yes, we lose family and friends here on earth, but we gain new family and friends as well until the day comes when we can once again see them in eternity. My friends....my prayer for you today is that you take your life journey into perspective and see it as it is....a journey...a wonderful heartbeat of Time that yes is full of so many things....but forever enveloped with the amazing Love and Grace of Father God. Much will happen on your journey....and guess what? Its ok! You are never alone my friends, God is forever with you and He has placed wonderful people in your life that will join you throughout your journey...truly a fellowship of the ring that becomes your friends and family that will give you all that you need on your trek through this life. There truly is a time for everything...so look up my friends, put your life in perspective and understand that all of it, the good and the bad, are all part of your walk, your journey....so sit down for a minute, rest up if you need too and clean out your pipe before you smoke it....for life does continue! Life does continue! Life will still happen! I love you all... Brent
Posted on: Thu, 08 Jan 2015 16:32:13 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015