Hold Your Ground!

"Hold your ground; hold your ground! Sons of Gondor, of Rohan, my brothers! I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me. A day may come when the courage of men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship, but it is not this day. An hour of woes and shattered shields, when the age of men comes crashing down! But it is not this day! This day we fight! By all that you hold dear on this good earth, I bid you stand, Men of the West!" -Aragorn (Return of the King)

I really love this quote from the Lord of the Rings because it gives me courage. It quickens the zeal that I have for accomplishing my goals. So many circumstances in my life would threaten to take my heart; my courage. If this helpless feeling that burrs itself in my soul were to have it's way with no resistance, it would ruin me. Finding out that I may be out of the Navy in five months is quite a hit. It makes me feel both excited and overwhelmed. I'm thankful for the time I've had in it, and I'm excited about the future. But there are a lot of fears, and having resistance at work only adds to the burden. I know by the grace of God that I'll make it. However, it takes courage on my part as well. I have to fight the feelings of dejection and hopelessness. I have to support my family and make sure that they know everything IS going to be alright. I must not only stand, but also support those who may not have the strength to. And I will, you see, because a fire has been lit in my soul; not only from this quote, but from the very dejection that I've experienced at my job. No matter how much I love playing music, this conquers even that. Nothing can stop me now, because I know that I'm not alone. Others are in the same boat as I am and are feeling the same dejection that I've felt so many times in the past. It is not a one time occurrence. It is not my emotions playing the devil's advocate. It is cold hard truth, and action must be taken on my part to disalign myself from the evil that has permeated my life for so long. This day I will fight!