In J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, Rivendell is an elven sanctuary at the beginning of the Misty Mountains. It is described as a Homely House, a good house, and a place that Bilbo would have stayed forever. In The Hobbit, Tolkien wrote that it was, “perfect, whether you liked food, or sleep, or work, or story-telling, or singing, or just sitting and thinking best, or a pleasant mixture of them all. Evil things did not come into that valley.” The travelers in The Hobbit grew refreshed and strengthened in a matter of days there. In The Lord of the Rings, it is said that merely to be in Rivendell was to find “a cure for weariness, fear, and sadness.”
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I believe that we can experience a cure for weariness, fear and sadness as we are physically in a place that is safe and homely, such as Rivendell. Think the North Shore of Oahu, the hills of the Ozarks, a warm bathtub, or an overstuffed armchair and a good book. But I also believe that we as humans can hold space for people that has a homely quality to it. We can hold space for people to experience the love and presence of God, and find a cure for weariness, fear and sadness. As best I can as an imperfect human being, I desire that people who visit Rivendell Ranch, or who sit with me for coaching, spiritual direction and mentorship, would feel a Rivendell-like safety, as they encounter the Lord, and process the hurt, confusion, pain and joys of life with someone walking alongside them in that valley.