Keeping the Darkness at Bay

 I love what we can learn from marvelous adventures like those of Frodo Baggins and Samwise Gamgee in J.R.R. Tolkein's The Lord of the Rings. One thing I learn over and over again is that extraordinary acts of tremendous courage come from those ordinary individuals who choose to take a stand.

It's like Gandalf explains in The Hobbit, "Saruman believes it is only great power that can hold evil in check, but that is not what I have found. I found it is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay… small acts of kindness and love."

 And truly it is these small acts that keep the darkness--of hardship, of loneliness, of sadness--at bay.

I've seen it in my life in so many ways. On those days where I'm at the edge of giving up, Heavenly Father sends me one of those "thinking-of-you" notes in a small miracle. And most often, that small miracle is in the form of another person, just living as they should.

The website Anonymous Thank Yous is a collection of individuals thanking ordinary people who gave small acts of love that "kept the darkness at bay" in their life. Check it out! You might cry because these stories and experiences are familiar to each of us. :)

Sometimes I'm so overwhelmed at a person's capacity to love and show their love. Wouldn't it be nice if we could all have the courage to be a miracle in another person's life through our ordinary acts of love and kindness?

 Let's begin now and bring miracles into the lives of others! And for those of you who have shown your love to me, thank you (more than I can say)! Whether you know it or not, you are a miracle in my life, and the darkness is a little less because of you. :)

Note: This post was originally published on my blog, https://lookingupinsong.blogspot.com, 24 May 2015.