Lord of the Rings: The Hobbit (chapter 1)

 “…it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort..” “…they never had any adventures or did anything unexpected.”

We live as hobbits. We prefer to stay in our ‘comfort-zones’ or “hobbit-holes,” never wanting nor partaking in adventures. But sometimes, great adventures come along, for which we are created.

“’Goodmorning!’ he said at last. ‘We don’t want any adventures here, thank you!’”

"Now you mean that you want to get rid of me, and that it won't be good till I move off."

"Not at all, not at all, my dear sir! Let me see, I don't think I know your name?"

"Yes, yes, my dear sir-and I do know your name, Mr. Bilbo Baggins. And you do know my name, though you don't remember that I belong to it. I am Gandolf, and Gandolf means me! To think that i should have lived to be good-morninged by Belladonna Took's son, as if I was selling buttons at the door!"

We often refuse adventures, even when God has planned them for us. At most times, we don't realize that we are saying 'no,' or "good-morning!" to God, because we don't recognize Him when He asks us to live an adventure. He knows us of each by name, but we don't recognize Him.

"'...Indeed for your old grandfather Took's sake, and for the sake of poor Belladonna, I will give you what you asked for.'"

-"'I beg your pardon, I haven't asked for anything!'"

"'Yes, you have! Twice now. My pardon. I give it to you. In fact I will go so far as to send you on this adventure. Very amusing for me, very good for you, and profitable, too, very likely, if you ever get over it'."

-"'Sorry! I don't want any adventures, thank you. Not today. Good Morning! But please come by to tea - anytime you like! Why not tomorrow? Come tomorrow! Good-bye!' With that the hobbit turned and scuttled inside his round green door, and shut it as quickly as he dared, not to seem rude. Wizards after all are wizards."

When God asks us to live an adventure, go down a scary path, or suffer, we often slam the door in His face saying, "Sorry! I don't want any adventures, thank you."

"Gandalf in the meantime was still standing outside the door, and laughing long but quietly. After a while he stepped up, and with the spike on his staff scratched a queer sign on the hobbit's beautiful green door. Then he strode away, just about the time Bilbo was finishing his second cake and beginning to think that he had escaped adventures very well."

When we refuse God's plan, or think we know better, I am sure He sometimes has to chuckle at us. After all, we humans, who only have a view of our present surroundings, think we know more of the world than the One Who can see the entire world and universe all at once. And we humans whose perspective of time is limited to the present and some past, both which our knowledge of is incomplete and often misunderstood or plain wrong, think we know what is best over the One whom knows the past, present, and future all in their fullest and complete truth. But we are stubborn people, and slam the door on God when He proposes His plan for us. We tell God when and where to come into our lives, only wanting and asking Him to interfere with our lives to 'make' them more pleasant, such as "tea-time" for Mr. Baggins.

"The next day he had almost forgotten about Gandolf...Just before tea time there came a tremendous ring on the front-door bell, and then he remembered! He rushed and put on the kettle, and put out another cup... 'I'm so sorry to keep you waiting!' he was going to say, when he saw that it was not Gandolf at all. It was a dwarf with a blue beard tucked into a golden belt....They had not been at the table very long...when there came an even louder ring at the bell...But it was not Gandolf. Instead there was a very old-looking dwarf..." [dwarves continue to arrive at the door, until a total of thirteen dwarves, as well as Gandolf, have unexpectedly gathered at the home of the hospitable hobbit...whom is becoming quite flustered.]

"He liked visitors, but he liked to know them before they arrived, and he preferred to ask them himself. He had a horrible thought that the cakes might run short, and then he - as the host: he knew his duty and stuck to it however painful - he might have to go without."

"...By the time he had got all the bottles and dishes and knives and forks and glasses and plates and spoons and things piled up on big trays, he was getting very hot, and red in the face, and annoyed."

The dwarves are setting out on their adventure to find and reclaim their once-stolen treasures and gold. Mr. Baggins is to accompany them on their adventure- rather- his adventure, which Gandolf has had planned for him. God sends others into our lives. who we do not expect, or we may find a bit rude, but we must welcome them in, for they may be of great help, and play a great role in our own adventure...even if they eat our cakes and drink our tea leaving us only with dishes...

"Far over the misty mountains cold
To dungeons deep and caverns old
We must away ere break of day
To seek the pale enchanted gold."