The path may seem dark, but God has a plan. We’ve covered this before looking at how the god of Tolkien’s world, Eru, had plans. We saw how Bilbo and his Dwarf friends seemingly fell into foul trouble, being captured by the Elves of the woods. Yet, that allowed for them to make the one single way through the dark woods of Mirkwood.
This is a common theme for Tolkien and here’s another excellent example that I used in church recently. At the end of Fellowship, we see that the small company is attacked by enemies from Saruman trying to capture the one ring. IN the process of attack, Frodo and Sam escape to continue the journey into the dark lands of Mordor, the home of the main enemy. Meanwhile, two other Hobbits, Merry and Pippen were captured. Now Aragorn faces a tough decision. Does he follow after Frodo and Sam or try to save the two captured friends? He made a vow to go with Frodo and protect him at all costs. Yet, if left alone, the two captured Hobbits would be tortured.
Aragorn is equally tortured with the choice he faces. Tolkien writes it this way:
“and now may I make a right choice, and change the evil fate of this unhappy day.” He stood silent for a moment. “I will follow the orcs…if I seek [Frodo] in the wilderness, I must abandon the captives [Merry & Pippin] to torment and death…we that remain cannot forsake our companions while we have strength left.”
So, he and his two surviving companions, Legolas the elf and Gimli the dwarf take off racing to try and catch up. They take off hours after the enemies had already departed, also at a run. Now, two days later of almost constant running, the three pursuers are debating which direction to go as the trail splits as the orcs have now split into two groups, going off in different directions. Now our heroes are exhausted and its dark; they need to rest. .
Gimli said, “If we decide to rest, then the blind night is the time to do so.”
“I said it was a hard choice,” said Aragorn. “How shall we end this debate”?
“My heart bids me go on,” said Legolas. “But we must hold together. I will follow your counsel.”
“You give the choice to an ill chooser,” said Aragorn. “Since we passed through the Argonath my choices have gone amiss.” He fell silent, gazing north and west into the gathering night for a long while. “We will no walk in the dark,” he said at length….[“We are in] a vain pursuit from its beginning, maybe, which no choice of mine can mar or mend.”
One’s heart goes out to Aragorn. Maybe you have never been there, but I have. You are the one everyone is looking to for a decision. Some times you are confident, wiling to step out boldly. However in other moments, it seems like every decision is a disaster, with people sniping and complaining and well, even in your own heart you aren’t fully sure you’ve made good choices. Or, even though you feel it was a good decision, at that very moment the decision seems to have not been good. Sigh. Tough times to be a leader.
Eventually, in our story, Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli catch up to the enemies only to find that they are too late. This band of evil orcs has all been killed and, for all the 3 heroes can tell, the Hobbits are now dead. In some despair, they stumble into a chance meeting with a reborn Gandalf. If you know the story, Gandalf is a wizard who has been helping our heroes. He had been in the original fellowship, but had fallen to his death….or so it seemed. Now, to the surprise of all, here he is again, alive.
As they talked about what had happened, Gandalf perceived how down Aragorn was over everything. So, he proceeds to step into Aragorn’s depression and point out how all of his choices had indeed had a point, a purpose:
“Come, Aragorn son of Arathorn! Do not regret your choice in the valley of the Emyn Muil, nor call it a vain pursuit. You chose amid doubts the path that seemed right; the choice was just, and it has been rewarded. For so we met in time, who otherwise might have met too late.”
I don’t know what you are facing right now. Perhaps you feel like Aragorn that all of your choices have been ill-advised. Take heart. If you will place your trust in God, I believe that He will work things out to the good of His larger purposes. In the end, through no real choice of your own EXCEPT the fact that you made the best choices, best decisions that you could, you may end up meeting a powerful new friend who will change everything.