Since January 1, I’ve read several posts about
choosing a word for the year. When I first pondered this, no particular word
came to mind. Then I saw on Facebook that someone had chosen the word “fearless”
last year. When my eyes fell on that word, I knew that God wanted me to adopt
it for 2013. Now I’ll admit, choosing a word like fearless scares me. I’m sure
you get the irony. But, I also know that perfect love casts out all fear.
You may wonder what this has to do with the
Hobbit. If you’ve read the book or watched the movie, then you know that Bilbo
Baggins was not known for his bravery or his sense of adventure. Even so, he
tucked away his fear and left his home behind because he wanted to help his new
found friends. Thorin and the other dwarves doubted him more than once. But he reassured
them. “ I know you doubt me, I know you always have, and you're right. I
often think of Bag End. I miss my books, and my arm chair, and my garden. See,
that's where I belong; that's home, and that's why I came cause you don't have
one.. a home. It was taken from you, but I will help you take it back if I can.”
Instead of hiding behind his fear, Baggins stepped up and put the hopes and
dreams of his friends, before his own comfort.
J.R.R. Tolkien said that, “Living by faith
includes the call to something greater than cowardly self-preservation.” As
I venture into this new year, I ask God to give me courage and to take away my
fear. God has set a task in front of me. He wants me to join him on this wild adventure
of writing and publishing. Like Mr. Baggins, I need to get out of my own way
and follow my heart.