Call to a
Journey
I
n the opening pages of
‘The Hobbit,’ Bilbo Baggins
receives an invitation to
go on a journey. Surrounded
by comfort, security, and
certainty, it came swooping
down upon him unexpectedly.
This is his crisis moment. It’s
Bilbo’s moment of separation
from the old, his moment of
opportunity for something
new. It is, in fact, the moment
he needs in order to keep
going, keep growing.
At the threshold of a crisis
moment, we can either regress
into our same old patterns or
let the crisis thrust us onto
a journey of transformation.
A crisis summons us to
cross the threshold. There
is both a leaving behind, a
separation from the old and an
opportunity to look ahead to
DOZ Magazine | August 2019
Jennifer Woodley
something new. What do we
need to leave behind? Perhaps
relationships that rob us of
life, harmful habits, small-
minded thinking, distorted
perceptions, or even a lifestyle
that keeps us too safe, too
comfortable, too selfish. And
what opportunities arise? The
prospect of a new direction
and new experiences that
draw us closer to others,
closer to God and closer to
discovering our true selves.
In the day of crisis, there’s
a decision to be made. Do
we confront the fear of
uncertainty and allow God to
bring us through whatever lies
ahead, or do we let ourselves
be swamped by fear and
retreat back into what leaves
us in safer territory, but still
with unfulfilled longings?
6
Even Bilbo had a whispering
in his heart that although life
was good, there had to be
something more. We are made
for a life lived to the full.
Perhaps we’ve forgotten the
promise that God is gracious
and merciful, slow to anger
and abounding in love. Can we
dare to let these words find
a place to grow in our hearts
and then act upon them in our
moment of crisis? God can be
depended upon. There is no
reason to retreat and abandon
the One who walks alongside
us in the unknown journey
ahead. Hope lies in braving the
call to journey with God and
listen for His directive voice
along the way. And when we
do this, we discover a deeper
understanding of who we are
and how great God is.