Lord of the Rings - The Fellowship of the Ring
Arwen: Do you remember when we first met?
Aragorn: I thought I had wandered into a dream.
Arwen: Long years have passed. You did not have the cares you carry now. Do you remember what I told you?
Aragorn: You said you'd bind yourself to me, forsaking the immortal life of your people.
Arwen: And to that I hold. I would rather share one lifetime with you than face all the ages of this world alone.
[hands him her pendant]
Arwen: I choose a mortal life.
Aragorn: You cannot give me this.
Arwen: It is mine to give to whom I will. Like my heart.
~dialogue from Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (PG-13)
Possibly the most romantic story in the Lord of the Rings series is that between Aragorn and Arwen. The relationship between them finally comes together in the final film of the series, but the first glimpse we have of it is the dialog above. Arwen offers her heart to Aragorn... Aragorn tries to stop her, but she reminds him that her heart is hers to give to whoever she wishes. Let's take some time to explore this thought relative to the conversation...
A person's heart is involved in any relationship, perhaps not biologically, but figuratively. The depth of that relationship may be determined by the willingness with which one heart is offered to the other. If we step back for a larger view of our relationships, we would find that this statement is true. We can examine our friendships and find that the amount by which we offer our heart, and thereby our true selves, is in direct proportion to the depth of the relationship. The same is true of marriage. The more our heart is offered to our spouse the greater the depth possible in the relationship.
Trust is the key ingredient necessary in offering your heart to another. It is very difficult to offer your heart to someone you do not trust... in fact, it's almost impossible. Where matters of the heart are concerned, trust plays the largest role. When you are part of a relationship where trust is strong, it is simpler to offer your heart, and in such situations deep, strong relationships are formed.
The same considerations apply to our relationship with God. If we trust Him, it's not difficult to offer our hearts to Him... and in turn, develop a deep, significant relationship. God has proved Himself worthy of our trust by His faithfulness throughout the generations:
- The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases.
- It is because of His everlasting love and His great faithfulness that He deserves the greatest trust.
- God is worthy of our highest trust and He waits for us all to offer our hearts to Him.
- He has done His part; now it is our turn... the choice is ours.