Loyal Friends

In the Lord of the Rings movies (did you really think we were done talking about those?) it's the friendships that stand out most to me.

Gandalf and his friendship with Froto is that of a protective father figure in someways. You see the aspects of the trust that Froto has in him and the love that Gandalf displays. You also see Gandalf get frustrated and Froto take on the "rebellious teenager" actions at some points. Ultimately you see love and trust strained and their relationship is damaged before being ultimately restored.

Legolas friendship with Aragorn is better understood if you read (or watch) the Hobbit movies and you see a bit about how it started. Again it's based on mutual respect but there's a brotherhood between the man and elf that goes deeper then you realize on the surface. Plus they're basically the two coolest characters in the entire fellowship. Just sayin'.

Legolas' friendship with Gimili is one of my favorites because it starts out as antagonism bordering on hatred. Elves and dwarves don't get along and these two characters aren't about to be the ones to change that long held animosity between the species! Until they are. As they travel, work and fight alongside each other they do learn to respect each other and ultimately become friends. They show that relationships that begin and thrive due to hardships are the ones that will last a lifetime.

Friendships between the Hobbits are some of my favorites. Merry and Pippin are hysterical. They're the definition of two peas in a pod. They're constantly up to no good. They sometimes seem like they're more trouble then they're worth but their loyalty is almost beyond compare. They would do anything for each other. They follow Frodo on a suicide mission because they refuse to let their friend go without them. Yes, maybe it starts out as them being bored and wanting to do something fun but as the story continues it becomes so much more. These are the two characters that more then any other, Frodo included, that you really get to watch go through the painful but amazing process of growing up, learning what you're made of and being so grateful for what you have.

Finally my favorite friendship, Sam and Frodo. Have you ever seen a more loyal friend then Sam? He almost drowns at one point because he refuses to let Frodo go to Mordor alone. It's not a one sided friendship though. Sam almost drowns because of his implicit trust in Frodo. He knows that Frodo is trying to protect him, protect everyone by going alone. Sam also knows that Frodo won't let him drown even if he's not happy about having to take him along. I could go on and on about their friendship but at least for now I'll keep it short. Loyalty is the main thing I see in their friendship. Loyalty and selfless love. The Bible says "Greater love have no one than this; to lay down one's life for one's friends". These two proved they would be willing to do that again and again.

Obviously these are movies and books. None of us are going to be taking the ring of power to the heart of Mordor and throwing it in the fire to be destroyed. We're not going to be battling orks or goblins or trolls. And, as cool as it might be, we're not going to be hanging out in Rivendell or fighting with the Riders of Rohan. What we do have is friends that are a gift from God.

Find good friends, whether they be older then you like Gandalf, younger like everyone else compared to the wizard, or the same age like the Hobbits. Find ones that love selflessly, are loyal, will get in your face when you need it, challenge you to do better, constantly encourage you, walk with you through the hard times and always offer a hand to lift you back up to your feet. When you find them, thank God for them, because will they may not be perfect but they know that you aren't either and they love you anyways. That's a gift worth keeping.