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Reflections on an Icy Tree

ice-covered tree

If all the leaves had never turned,
had not been stripped away,

We would have missed majestic ice
that dazzled here today.

Tiny prisms of green, then blue, amid the silver-white,
Now gold, and glowing amethyst, blaze brightly in the light.

The sleeping tree, life in its roots,
has not produced this splendor.

Its gems are made of rain and cold;
its fire, an icy ember.

The storm, we dread,
lament the chill,
The spring, we’d rather see.

But winter–and these precious jewels–
must come to every tree.

Now the strength sleeps at its source,
not dreaming yet to rise.

There is a time for everything–
for leaves, for ice, for trees.

In its season, ice has come.
And soon will come new leaves.

An ice-tree outside my window today made me think of the dazzling spiritual beauty of a friend in a difficult season of her life. The beauty with which God has adorned her spirit during this season has called attention to his artistry even in the most intense, harsh conditions. New life will arise from this season: even as she relies fully on her rootedness in Christ to sustain her spirit, those who find Christ through the message of the gospel she has shared with them will also have new, eternal life in Christ.

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