One of my favorite allegorical stories is from Tolkien and it is called Leaf by Niggle. In the story an artist named Niggle and he meticulously works on a painting of a tree. Through his life he gets distracted, sometimes by worthy things, and finishes only one leaf in his life. Through a series of events he eventually finds himself in Heaven where he sees his tree finished and complete.

"Before him stood the Tree, his Tree, finished. If you could say that of a Tree that was alive, its leaves opening, its branches growing and bending in the wind that Niggle had so often felt or guessed, and had so often failed to catch. He gazed at the Tree, and slowly he lifted his arms and opened them wide. “It’s a gift!” he said. He was referring to his art, and also to the result; but he was using the word quite literally. He went on looking at the Tree. All the leaves he had ever labored at were there, as he had imagined them rather than as he had made them; and there were others that had only budded in his mind, and many that might have budded, if only he had had time."

We all have leaves we are working on. Whether that is art, music, ministry, parenting, seeking justice and peace in relationships, these daily moments stolen to work on "the leaf" are not for nothing. I believe God will use all of these things when he brings this current creation to perfection one day. One day we will see the trees that we have meticulously labored on this side of Heaven, and they will be complete in Him.

You can purchase various sizes of this print HERE.