I have always been a huge fan of the film trilogy, The Lord of the Rings. A statement made by Samwise Gamgee in the second movie, The Two Towers, has withstood the test of time in my heart and continues to echo in my mind.
Sam says it at the end of the movie when it appears as though the enemy has won. The lead character, Frodo, has almost given up on everything and is questioning why he was called to perform an impossible task. In this hopeless moment, Sam, who is Frodo’s friend and traveling companion, rallies and speaks words that could only come from the Holy Spirit:
“It’s like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were. And sometimes you didn’t want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened?… Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn’t. They kept going, because they were holding on to something. That there is some good in this world, and it’s worth fighting for.”
~ Samwise Gamgee, The Two Towers
Today the Holy Spirit placed this quote in the forefront of my life once again. This world has undergone some severe tragedies this past year. When I woke up this morning I had no idea what trials I would be facing throughout the day.
It began with trying to endure the physical pain that kept me up all night. I’d been a klutz over the weekend and fallen down the stairs in my house. I must have fallen oddly on one leg, which caused extreme pain every time I put weight on it.
Then I had to visit the pharmacy to pick up a prescription, only to discover it had to be special ordered and wouldn’t be ready till the next day. These are not “end of the world” tragedies, but they were enough to rattle me and throw off my schedule.
In addition, it was the Thanksgiving holiday week, which meant everyone was on the road and driving like maniacs. I came home to attempt to get some work done. My mom borrowed my car so she could run some errands. A little later, she called me, frantic — she had been in a car accident.
She was focused on the fear that she had wrecked my car, but I only cared about whether she was all right. It was one of those conversations you hope you’ll never have. The rug is swept out from under you, and you realize everything has changed. My mom was fine and unharmed, and so was the person she hit. It was truly a miracle only the Lord can perform.
Once my mom was safe at home and all the dust had settled, I heard more details. Evidently, when the police arrived at the scene, they thought my mom should go to the hospital. The impact my car sustained should have caused the airbag to deploy, but it didn’t. My mother was able to walk away from the accident unscathed.
In this moment, the Holy Spirit allowed me a small glimpse of the beautiful tapestry He weaves in our lives. The Holy Spirit had been preparing for this very accident for months. In the process of buying a car, I had wanted to get a small Toyota Corolla, but wound up with a Honda CRV, which is a safe car but much bigger than I intended to purchase.
On the day of the accident, my dad was washing the car my mom would normally have used, their Toyota Avalon. The Holy Spirit was orchestrating all these details in order to make sure that the only car that would keep my mom safe in the accident was my CRV. If I had chosen the Toyota Corolla, or if my dad hadn’t decided to wash their car that day, I might not have my mother alive and well.
To add to the miracle, the police showed true mercy to my mother. She should have received a ticket for causing the accident, but when the officer saw all the trauma my mother had experienced and that the damage to my car was much greater than the other driver’s, he just issued her a warning. This came as a great surprise to me. I have become rather cynical and lost hope that people can be kind in times of stress. Not only was the police officer compassionate, but several other bystanders also offered support to my mother after the accident.
To be completely honest, I have been struggling to find hope lately, and to maintain a lighthearted spirit. There seems to be little to believe in these days, but after this incident, I feel renewed. There is some good in this world, and it is worth fighting for!
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Originally published at Kitty in the City.
Photo by Marta Wave, Pexels / PD-US
2 thoughts on “There is Some Good in this World”
What a beautiful reflection! I think, sometimes, we expect God to make acts of grandeur to make Himself known to us. But He’s there in seemingly “little” moments, we only need to pay attention. Your story has renewed my hope in this time of great darkness. Thanks for sharing, Kat!
There is a classic Disney movie called “Pollyanna” in which the young heroine is always looking for good in the world. She plays the “glad game” where she tries to point out to older and sadder people that they can find something to be glad about even in their misfortunes. These days when people are optimistic and look on the bright side, they are often mocked and scorned for being a “Pollyanna.” Your reflection illustrates that this hopeful attitude and appreciation of what is positive in painful and even traumatic events is the right way to approach the trials of this world.