Hope you all are doing well and continuing to endure this challenging season of social distancing with grace and faith. It’s been a tough week for me personally as I watch the date to “reopen” continue to get pushed back, and I have to figure out how to navigate this season of unemployment. But, it has also been a season of rest, and I can still find hope and contentment in the midst of it.

This week’s inspiration comes from a book that I’ve been listening to, called Every Good Endeavor, by Tim Keller. I highly recommend it if you are looking for fresh vision and perspective in your vocation. It goes well with our vocational commissioning that we did several years ago.

Keller starts off the book by turning to a story entitled Leaf by Niggle, by the great J.R.R Tolkien. If you want to read the story by Tolkien for yourself, you can find it here. This story was written during the time that Tolkien was working Lord of the Rings, and he was struggling to see if indeed all his years and countless hours of work that he put into this story would pay off. Tolkien is Niggle in this story.

Here’s a summary of Tolkien’s story. I’ll try to keep it brief:

Niggle is an artist who is a perfectionist. He agonizes over the details of his paintings. He one day has this grand vision of a beautiful piece that he wants to complete. The piece is so large that he must use a ladder to work on it. The piece starts as a branch of a tree, but as he starts seeing it in his mind, he wants to add leaves, birds, mountains, and essentially a whole world surrounding this one branch on a tree. However, Niggle is easily distracted and has a kind heart. He has a nagging neighbor who frequently calls on him to help him with things around his house and can’t say no to the man or any visitor who calls on him. All Niggle wants to do is finish this painting, and whenever he isn’t working on it, he is dreaming up and envisioning new things to add to this grand painting.

The reader also knows that there is this trip that Niggle must take soon, and Niggle is trying desperately to finish the painting before he must leave for the trip. This necessary long trip was to represent his death. So when the time comes for Niggle to take this trip, he has not finished the painting. He managed only to finish one small branch and leaf of this painting. which was discovered after his death. It was even put in the local museum but never received the recognition that any artist would hope to receive for his grandest work.

But the story doesn’t end there. When Niggle comes to the final destination of his trip or heaven, he comes to the outskirts of the heavenly country and finds a familiar tree. “Before him stood the Tree, his Tree, finished… its leaves opening, its branches growing and bending in the wind that Niggle had so often felt or guessed, and yet had so often failed to catch. He gazed at the Tree, and slowly he lifted his arms and opened them wide. ‘It is a gift’ he said.”.

I realize this is getting a little lengthy, but bear with me.

I don’t know about you, but I think we can all, at some point in our life, identify with a character like Niggle. Keller writes:

“But really- everyone is Niggle. Everyone imagines accomplishing things, and everyone finds him- or herself largely incapable of producing them. Everyone wants to be successful rather than forgotten. and everyone wants to make a difference in life. But that is beyond the control of any of us. If this life is all there is, then everything will eventually burn up…. Unless there is God. If the God of the Bible exists, and there is a True Reality beneath and behind this one, and this life is not the only life, then every good endeavor, even the simplest ones, pursued in response to God’s calling, can matter forever.”

Now hear this part that Keller goes on to say:

“Whatever your work, you need to know this: There really is a tree. Whatever you are seeking in your work- the city of justice and peace, the world of brilliance and beauty, the story, the order, the healing- it is there. There is a God, there is a future healed world that he will bring about, and your work is showing it (in part) to others. Your work will only be partially successful, on your best days, in bringing that world about. But inevitably the whole tree that we seek – the beauty, harmony, justice, comfort, joy, and community – will come to fruition. If you know this, you won’t be despondent because you can get only a leaf or two out in this life. You will work with satisfaction and joy.”

Even in this time – especially in this time – we have the opportunity to paint our part in this ultimate portrait of the new heaven and earth. Whether that be in teaching your children at home, working remotely, or in unemployment. Perhaps this is a time to recast your vision for your family or vocation. I pray that you will find purpose as you do your part in expanding the kingdom for an acceptable social distance. And I know we all look forward to the day that we can meet together once again.

I found this article to be fascinating and filled with two things I love: community and Alaska 🙂

I would also suggest adding Keller’s book Every Good Endeavor  to your reading list. It’s a great read!