Legacies and Hobbits: Life Lessons Learned from The Hobbit
I want to leave a legacy for my children.
This thought has been closer to the forefront of my mind because I’ve been to two funerals in the last ten days. Both women were grandmothers, and one was a great-grandmother. They loved their families deeply and left many happy memories.
What does Gandalf “leave” Bilbo? Gandalf awakens a sense of adventure in Bilbo. Before Gandalf arrived, he had no place for adventure. He says that adventures are “nasty disturbing uncomfortable things” that make you late for dinner. At the end, he returns home with treasure and his magic ring. Ever after, he was a friend of elves and dwarves, as well as the wizard. Do I awaken a sense of adventure in my children? Do I step out of my comfort zone, at God’s bidding, and face the adventure of trusting Him to see me through?
Gandalf also allows Bilbo to encounter adversity and trials, with the result that not only the dwarves, but Bilbo himself, learns that there is more to the hobbit than it seemed on the surface. Do I allow my children to face adversity, or do I shield them and rescue them from tough times? Do I allow them to see me struggle and persevere even when things are tough? Do I point them to God, the only one who can really protect them from evil?

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