.:: ~ i wish the ring had never come to me -- i wish none of this had ever happened ~ ::.

In the lives of all men, hard times are bound to come. The question which shall determine whether or not we stay our course, firmly planted on the Path of Life, is not "Why must I fall?" or even "What lesson shall I learn from this fall?" No -- we first must answer "How long shall I stay fallen?" and to this question, we must answer "No longer than this breath." It is only after we have made this righteous decision that we can look back and ask "What lesson shall I learn from this fall?" For if this question is asked first, while still down in the mire - we are looking back first, in an attempt to next look forward. But as it was penned by Peter in II Peter 3:13 -- "¹³ But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness." And this is echoed in Philippians 3:12b & 14-15 -- "...I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. ¹⁴I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. ¹⁵All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you." We must also remember and consider that while it is Satan and his forces which tempt us towards sin and falling, it is God that must allow all things to happen. So while it is evil which may tempt us towards our fall -- it is not merely evil which is at work. For through our fall we can, if we so decide to, learn and grown -- for it is through the fire of the hot coal and the pain of the stretching that we are so oft grown up. A line from J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring rings (pardon the pun -- seriously unintended :) towards such truth. It is from a conversation between Frodo & Gandalf when they've first entered the mines of Moria.

Frodo: "I wish the ring had never come to me -- I wish none of this had ever happened."

Gandalf: "So do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us. There are other forces at work in this world, Frodo, besides the will of evil. Bilbo was meant to find the Ring. In which case, you also were meant to have it. And that is an encouraging thought."

So -- press on, my brothers & sisters. Press on towards that goal in order to claim your prize for a life justly lived. And thank God for such times of trial and hardship -- for it is that without them we should never know the beautifully sweet taste of the nectar of God's mercy & glory.