Never the Same

"Home is now behind you, the world is ahead!" – Gandalf, The Hobbit

In The Hobbit, we are invited into the story of Bilbo Baggins and his reluctant journey from the comfort of home to the adventure of fighting dragons. 

While most of us will probably not be summoned to fight a dragon in our lifetime, we can be assured that we will regularly be called out of comfort and to a higher purpose and adventure. It's the natural course of living and part of the maturing process.

Consider a two-year-old, who is being called out of the comfortable world of diapers, pacifiers, and bottles... Or a college graduate summoned to use their education, find a job, and pay a mortgage....

The problem is, if we're not careful, we lose the spirit of adventure and begin to set all our aspirations on how we can build a comfortable life. How can we save up for the next vacation... build a nice home on an acreage... get season tickets to our favorite sports team... give our kids every advantage we can... build a large retirement nest egg. On and on the list goes, you fill in the blanks. 

We fool ourselves into thinking our call to adventure can be satisfied if we have more activities on the calendar and lots of pleasure and entertainment and stuff. And at the end of the day, we are tired and empty and realize how temporal and unfulfilling all these things really are.

I would say, that's because we're created for a higher purpose. A calling that is always inviting us to grow, to walk out of our current 'comforts' and into a place of purpose that is challenging and deeply satisfying all at the same time. It takes intentionality to answer this call. 

Here are two questions to consider in light of your time, talent, and treasures: 

What makes me feel or look good? (Comforts)

How am I making a lasting impact? (Purpose)

Gandalf: I am looking for someone to share in an adventure that I am arranging, and it’s very difficult to find anyone.

Bilbo: I should think so—in these parts! We are plain quiet folk and have no use for adventures. Nasty disturbing uncomfortable things! Make you late for dinner! I can’t think what anybody sees in them …

Gandalf:  You’ll have a tale or two to tell when you come back

Bilbo:  You can promise that I’ll come back?”

Gandalf:  No. And if you do, you will not be the same.

- The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkein

 

Here's to answering our call to adventure and the promise that we'll never be the same, nor the people we impact. To the tales we will share and the ways we will grow. Here's to living our best lives.