I love this picture. It was one of my favourite Christmas presents, made and given by some very creative people. On one level it’s just a LEGO man in a frame, but because I love The Lord of The Rings books and films, and because I still have a soft spot for LEGO, it becomes much more.
The character is Samwise Gamgee, an unlikely hero in many ways, but whose bravery, loyalty and steadfast friendship help the main character Frodo Baggins to succeed in a quest where all odds were stacked against them. In the film ‘The Return of the King’, in a very dramatic moment heading toward the conclusion, he speaks the famous words:
I can’t carry if for you, but I can carry you!
As Sam uses his last ounces of strength to carry the exhausted Frodo toward their goal, it’s at this point that the music and drama pick up, and with this, so do the hopes of the viewers. See the video here:
In a way I like the fact the my LEGO Samwise has fallen down inside his frame. It reminds me that we all need carrying from time to time. There’s a famous poem called ‘Footprints’, where the writer says that God has carried them through the most difficult times in their life, so that where there used to be two sets of footprints in the sand, there then became one. Google it if you like. I wonder how you get through the toughest times? Our friends and family sometimes need carrying, as do we. Have you ever let God carry you?