Then Jonathon made a covenant with David , because he loved him as his own soul.

1 Samuel 18:3

I have always been an avid reader, and my newborn’s midnight feeding schedule allows me to revisit some of my favorite lands, albeit at a much slower pace. Middle-Earth is one of my favorite fictional worlds, and Samwise Gamgee is unquestionably my favorite character from the Lord of the Rings trilogy. For those unfamiliar with the story, Frodo Baggins, a diminutive creature known as a hobbit, must destroy a powerful, evil ring to save Middle-Earth, but he would never have succeeded without his loyal best friend Sam. Every time I read the books or watch the movies, I love the character even more as he reminds me how to be a true friend.

Never let loyalty and kindness leave you! Tie them around your neck as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart.

Proverbs 3:3

Joining the Journey

While Frodo was born with a sense of adventure, Sam was a humble gardener, wonderfully content with his life and his gardens. He had never dreamed of traveling outside the small Shire or of doing great deeds to save the world. However, when Frodo began preparations for his epic journey, Sam was by his side. He helped Frodo pack, sell his house, and begin his journey. Although this dream had never been his own, his loyalty led him see a bigger purpose. There are so many times when our friends need us by their side. Often these are situations where we may be unfamiliar or uncomfortable, but that’s no excuse. When we see a friend in need, our loyalty to her should outweigh our discomfort.

During the beginning of their journey, the two hobbits were accompanied by seven others who helped them through a variety of trials, all moving toward the evil land of Mordor to destroy the ring at Mount Doom. However, at one point it became clear to Frodo that he was going to have to make the rest of the trip alone. He finds a boat and begins to row away, when much to his chagrin, he hears Sam dive into the water despite Sam’s deep-rooted fear of swimming. Again, Sam saw a purpose greater than himself in his friend, and he would stop at nothing to loyally follow and support his friend. Have you ever been in a situation when you knew a friend needed help or support but was determined to face the trial alone? Don’t wait to be invited. Don’t wait for her to ask for help. Be there, Bible in hand, ready to walk to Mount Doom with her.

Sam followed Frodo far outside his comfort zone, but he did not allow that to stop his from using his talents. Sam was a gardener, a cook, a planner, and a packer. He used these skills to ensure their journey’s success. One of the most poignant scenes to me is when Sam and Frodo leave all their supplies is a dark, empty desert because they can no longer bear any extra weight on their final march to the top of Mount Doom. Sam realizes how sad he is to leave his cooking gear behind because it had served them so well, keeping them alive and even leading them to a new friend in an hour of need. In the context of their likely impending demise, the cookware seems trivial, but it was important to Sam. I can relate to Sam here because my talents are similar to his. God has granted some people winsome, visible talents like music or dancing or oratory. Mine are not as visible, but like Sam, I have to hold closely to mine because they are just as useful as others’ talents. And wishing I had a different set could mean missing the opportunity to serve in the ways God designed me to serve.

A new command I give you: love one another. As I have loved you so must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.

John 13:34-35

Fighting with Faith

One of my favorite aspects of Sam’s character is his eternal optimism. He holds to the hope that he is fighting for something greater than himself and that they are going to succeed. He holds to knowledge that Frodo had to destroy the ring and that he had to help his friend the whole way. Throughout the story, he quotes his father, remembering where he was from and the land he was fighting to protect. As disciples, there are times where our friends don’t have the faith to fight their own fight. We have to remember that we are fighting for the Kingdom of God and that it is a kingdom that will never be destroyed. You need to fight for your own relationship with God, using prayer and the Bible, so that when those around you are weak, you have enough faith to share.

In one of the many scenes in which Sam and Frodo were in mortal danger, a fantastical beast known as an oliphaunt comes crashing out of the woods. Instead of running with fear, Sam’s fascination overcomes him. He had always wanted to see an oliphaunt and was amazed at the opportunity. This is an ability I hope to never outgrow. I want to keep my sense of wonder with the world God has created. I want to hold to my fascination with His Word. I never want to become bored and ungrateful with the gifts around me. Even in the moments of spiritual difficulty, I want to hold onto my fascination, my dreams of seeing ‘oliphaunts.’

In the end of the story, Sam takes all his newly discovered strength and grit and brings it back the Shire. Upon returning, the hobbits free the Shire from a relatively small threat compared to one they had conquered at Mount Doom, and eventually Sam becomes mayor of the Shire leading it with mercy and justice. It’s important to remember that God does not allow us to go through trials needlessly. Fighting beside our friends prepares us to help even more people and to fight bigger battles the next time around.

Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

John 15:13

Carrying It to Completion

Sam’s ability to fight in battles that he would have never foreseen molds him into the hobbit who was able to return to lead the Shire to prosperity. As he and Frodo approach the final leg of their journey, they believe they have escaped Shelob, a huge, evil spider that feeds on any creatures who enter her lair. However, she follows them out of the matrix of caves and stings Frodo, paralyzing him so that she could eat him later. Keeping in mind that Sam considered himself a simple gardener and a cook, he followed Shelob into her lair and attacked her with a sword, demonstrating courage he had no idea he possessed. All he knew was that his friend was in danger and that he would protect Frodo with his life. Are you willing to lay down your life for your friends? Do you take it seriously when a friend says she is lonely, or faithless, or sad? Or are you too busy to stop? Jesus says there is no greater love than to lay down our lives for our friends.

After he defeated Shelob in battle, Sam did not realize Frodo was paralyzed and believed his best friend was dead. He was distraught to leave Frodo but also understood that the only way to honor his friend was to complete the mission. He took the ring and continued the journey to Mount Doom to destroy it. This was never Sam’s calling, but he would not allow the mission to fail even though he despaired of his own life. It’s important to remember our mission. Sometimes our friends will leave, whether or not by their own choice. We still have a mission. We still have to evangelize the world. Take up the mantle, and keep fighting the battle.

Through a rapid series of events, Sam learned that Frodo was actually alive and rescued him from another danger. By this point, the ring has taken over Frodo’s mind, and Frodo accused Sam of stealing the ring and refused to let Sam carry it further. As they neared the top of Mount Doom, Frodo lost all strength. He could not walk. He could not get to the top of mountain, and he could not destroy the ring – at least not by himself. In this moment, Sam says his most famous line: “Come, Mr. Frodo! I can’t carry it for you, but I can carry you.” He lifts Frodo onto his shoulder and carries him the rest of way. This moment brings tears to my eyes every time. Even in our lives, we cannot bear our friends’ burdens. We cannot take away their pain, and we cannot make their challenges disappear. However, we can carry them through the challenges. We can walk beside them, pray with them, wash them with the Word. We can help them complete their mission even in the worst of times, not by carrying their burdens but by carrying them.

But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely if even death separates you and me.”

Ruth 1:16

I strive to be this type of friend, but I know that I often fall short. I also have the indescribable privilege of having multiple friends who have been like a Sam to me. One friend called me faithfully every week during a time when was weak, and I know that her friendship helped keep me faithful. Another friend and her husband let my family of four (at the time) live with them for six months while we in transition. Someone else bought us food in a time we were struggling so much financially that we couldn’t afford groceries. I could go on for paragraphs about how wonderful my friends are. I am so grateful for them and remember their examples when I want to pull my heart back or be selfish with my time.

One word of caution as you consider the lessons of friendship as described above: concentrate fully on how you portray these lessons and what kind of friend you are. Do not take these lessons and then expect other people to be this kind of friend to you. Take them and give your whole heart to being this friend to someone else. Bitterness easily takes root when we impose expectations like this on others without demanding it of ourselves.