Friday, February 18, 2011

Confused

So in looking at Week 5 and Week 7, I've decided that I sorta screwed up my Week 7 post during Week 5 and pushed them together. I decided I wanted to redo Week 5 more than Week 7, so here we go. I think one of the movies from my youth that had a profound effect on me was The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. We all have times where we wonder, why me? This question is often followed by another: what should I do now? The answer to these questions, at least for me, was found in a response Gandalf made to Frodo. Frodo had expressed his dismay over having ever come into contact with the ring. He told Gandalf that he wished "none of this had happened." Gandalf responded that everybody feels that way during hard times, "But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us." Sometimes decisions are easy and straightforward, sometimes they are very difficult. When hard times come, and tough decisions must be made, it is then that we will find out who we really are. From a Gospel viewpoint, that is why the Lord allows us to have trials, so that we can know for ourselves where we are on the pathway to perfection. I like to think that everytime we are placed in a circumstance we would rather not be in, that the Lord has had a hand in it. This isn't because I want to believe that he is hoping we will fail, or that we will mess up. Instead I like to think that He has given me an opportunity to prove to myself that when things are bad and everything is going against me, I will choose to do something positive with the opportunity that has been given to me, no matter how bleak things may seem in the present. That is why I like that movie so much. It teaches us that although unwanted things may come our way and push us right to our breaking point, it is still our decision that counts. We still have the ability to make a choice. The best choice will rarely be the easiest, but in the end, it will be the most rewarding.

3 comments:

  1. I love this movie, especially the beginning! It is sad that Frodo had such a peaceful, happy life and had to go through so much hardship, seemingly undeserved. That is a nice take on the movie. (It makes me feel so sorry for Frodo but empathetic since we all go through hard times.) What I remember most about the movie (that I kind of learned from my friend who loves the movies) is how Sam is a true friend. When I'm feeling down, I can just imagine what Sam would say to Frodo if Frodo was in my particular scenario, as if he was talking to me, and it cheers me up. :)

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  2. There are many morals to be found in the Ring movies as well as a lot of awesome fight scenes. It has been awhile since I saw the first movie and think that I should make an effort to watch it soon!

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  3. I love this quote. It is so good in reminding us that we always need to stay positive and do the best we can with the time given. Somebody used this quote in a talk on Sunday, and it really reminded me of how I need to live my life.

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