What the Lord of the Rings Taught Me about Embracing Difficulty

We all have questions about what is the right way to live. Popular narratives seem to push a worldview of self-preservation no matter the cost. Is it better to avoid danger and difficulty? In our family lives? In our spiritual lives?  Choosing the difficult path and engaging in self-sacrificial behavior benefits those around us. This is the story of history's greatest saints from time immemorial. As the world continuously goes deeper into insanity right outside our own windows, we need to rethink how we relate to it.  Today I look back on what Lord of the Rings taught me about embracing difficulty. When we find Sam & Frodo in the seemingly hopeless situation of Mordor, they don't shy away from it. Why? Sam recognizes this path is the right one because of the stories he read growing up.