Everyone Has An Errand & Everyone Undertakes A Journey
Yesterday I wrote Quest or Adventure about Gandalf’s distinction between adventure and the quests in Middle. I want to continue this inspired by reading The Gospel According to Tolkien: Visions of the Kingdom in Middle-Earth by Ralph C. Wood. Tolkien’s Bilbo believed that everyone has an “errand” or mission and purpose. This really resonates with me because I believe this to be true for each of us. We all are also on a journey every day of our lives. Wood reminded us we are all immersed in the “ever-rolling stream” of the river of time. I love how Wood put it:
“Legolas the elf declares this dark truth: ‘Few can foresee whither their road will lead them, till they come to its end’ (The Two Towers, p.95). The question-and thus the Quest — concerns how we shall travel the road and whether we shall complete our errand. Like Frodo, we are called not so much to find a treasure as to lose one. There is a huge difference, of course. While the Ring is evil and must be destroyed, our lives are good and must be preserved.”
By staying true to our purpose we can do as Bilbo taught us to “keep our feet.” In other words not be swept away by life’s great river.
“The Road goes ever on and on Down from the door where it began. Now far ahead the Road has gone, And I must follow, if I can, Pursuing it with weary feet, Until it joins some larger way, Where many paths and errands meet. And whither then? I cannot say” (The Fellowship of the Ring, p.p. 82-83).
I love how Wood points out that an earlier version of Bilbo’s song used “eager” rather than “weary.” Just goes to show that our errands do drain us at times. Staying eager in our purpose and mission involves nurturing our motivation and maintaining a clear sense of why we started. We need to regularly remind ourselves of the core reasons that motivated us to pursue our own quests (missions). Reflecting on our passion can reignite our enthusiasm.
Just like Bilbo surrounded himself with individuals who shared his vision. Their support and shared energy boosted Bilbo’s eagerness. We need to learn from this and do the same. Speaking of learning; we need to keep Learning and continuously seeking new knowledge and skills related to our errands (missions). Growth keeps things interesting and fuels our commitment and keeps us eager instead of weary.
Byron's Babbles 
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