"The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with weary feet,
Until it joins some larger way,
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say."
("The Old Walking Song")
Thank you, Tolkien and Bilbo, for giving me such wonderful words to consider as I head out into the world at the end of my college experience. My journey is not ending now, it is only beginning. I am most certainly ready for an adventure.
This semester I have been thinking a lot about the end of Isaiah 40:
"To whom will you compare me?
Or who is my equal?" says the Holy One.
Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens:
Who created all these?
He who brings out the starry host one by one
and calls forth each of them by name.
Because of his great power and mighty strength,
not one of them is missing.
Why do you complain, Jacob?
Why do you say, Israel,
"My way is hidden from the Lord;
my cause is disregarded by my God"?
Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary,
and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
The song based on this passage was always one of my favorite camp songs. Although I know in my head that these words are all true, it often takes more than just my own understanding to allow my heart to acknowledge this truth.
As I've walked through some tough emotions this semester, I've come out on the other end reminded more than ever that my way will never be hidden from the Lord and my cause will never be disregarded by my God. He and I are in this together for the long haul.
