"Not all who wander are lost."
Isn't that the truth? In today's day and age, with technology, globalization, and fluidity a part of everyday life, feeling lost is pretty common. Wandering goes far beyond moving physical location. It takes form academically, spiritually, emotionally, virtually, and relationally. We flit from Facebook profiles to Flikr albums, to Pinterest boards, to jobs, to tweets, to friendships, to degrees. Well, you get the point!
But even in doing all of that (which I do on a daily basis for my work), we can keep our compass pointing north. Exploring and pushing boundaries is healthy. I've been blessed to be able to travel, experience different educational environments, live in different places, and navigate the wild west of digital media over the past years. It may have been a circuitous journey at times, and I may not have had a map, but I sure grew from the journey and discovered that remaining true to myself and who God made me to be allowed me to continue northward. aka, I wasn't lost. Which leads me to another Tolkien quote:
“A single dream is more powerful than a thousand realities.”
I have always been a firm believer in dreams. Pursuing what you know to be right, and who you know yourself to be is so critical. After all, God created us in his image, to be fulfilled through the new life that Christ offers us when we believe in him. This goes so much farther than just acknowledging a heavenward path. It seeps into us, allowing us to discover the purpose and vision God has for our lives.
Yes, realities press in on us from all directions. And yes, they can be discouraging, daunting, and even dire at times. But if we have a dream in mind, and the confidence in knowing that it is sound and right, then the strength we have to go after it will always be stronger than the momentary trials that stand in our way.
So in a nutshell, I'd like to stake my claim in this fashion: I am a wandering dreamer, but I am not lost and I am not unrealistic. I am just more influenced by the power of Christ and the hope of finding myself in him and his work, which always triumphs.
Thanks for the inspiring words, Tolkien. I think we can all feel them resonate in our lives and look to them as a good reminder when our map is a little unclear or our dreams a little far off.
