A THOUSAND SMALL STEPS

In the year 3018 of the Third Age, there lived a Hobbit in the Shire who was both gardener and friend to another Hobbit named Frodo Baggins.

His name was Samwise Gamgee. In Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, he was not the hero upon whom everyone’s hopes were set, but he was the faithful companion and helper who remained close to dear Frodo.

As the story unfolds, Sam and Frodo are drawn into the events surrounding the One Ring and set off on their journey. They soon find themselves at the farthest edges of the Shire, farther than Sam had ever gone in his life.

Standing at that threshold, he says, “This is it. If I take one more step, it’ll be the farthest away from home I’ve ever been.” The unknown held him in place, and the stability, comfort, and safety of the Shire made him hesitate. Yet in his doubt, Sam remembered his promise to the wizard Gandalf that no matter what happened, he would stay close to Frodo and never leave his side. His love for his friend and the call of the quest outweighed his fear of leaving home, even though he was afraid.

Doing the right thing and stepping into discomfort for the sake of something greater can be daunting and at times threatens to incapacitate us to our very bones. Fear can cause us to retreat and convince us that we are weak and powerless in hard days, yet it is precisely such days that refine and strengthen the soul of the untested. Nothing of lasting value is gained in safety, and nothing truly worthwhile is earned through avoidance. Any cost that asks something great of us is never paid in a single moment, but rather through a thousand small acts of faithfulness.

Sam Gamgee was tested and shaped through those thousand small steps, beginning with leaving his comfort and continuing through facing savage enemies, saving his friend from a great spider bent on his death, and pressing on into the heart of Mordor itself. These were things he never would have imagined himself capable of had he remained hidden within routine and comfort.

These days ask something great of you and me, for we are all, in some way, like Sam Gamgee.

The testing and the burning away of what is unnecessary, though painful, reveal who we truly are. These days do not ask us to be brilliant, heroic, or even noble, nor do they hinge on ability, persona, or power. They ask for heart and for courage, which is the heart driven choice to persevere in the face of fear and difficulty for purposes worthy of the trust the Maker of All Good Things has placed within every common man and woman.

You and I, my friends, are perfectly placed and suited for our own quests for goodness. Life asks much of us, and like Sam standing at the farthest edge of the world he had ever known, we must decide whether we will remain untested and safe or step forward into places we never thought possible.

Our choices do not affect only ourselves, but also others who need the healing balm and salve that a hard world refuses to give. May we choose to step forward in faith and live as people who bring salt, light, hope, and goodness wherever we are sent.