Ice Storm

Reflections on an Ice Storm



December 16 2010



We are a spark of God

Encapsulated for a moment in our body --

Atoms borrowed from the earth.

As light flashes from a drop of ice clinging to a branch --

Transient twinkling matter within the swirl of vast, eternal love --

Our body channels spirit, revealing endless beauty:

Singing, working, moving, making, feeding, resting –

Our every act is prayer, proclaiming God.



Reflection:

This morning has been icy. The canvas was primed before dawn with an inch of beautiful white snow, and then the ice started falling. I love the fleeting beauty of the bare winter trees whose branches are suddenly coated with dangling ice diamonds. Their splendor seems like an answer to the prayers I’ve uttered in seeking to understand the purpose of my time on earth within the context of eternal spirit. The holidays this year engender sadness – regret for things that are no more. In contrast, God produces a sparkling canvas of transient loveliness, reminding me that I can experience this winter moment in many ways. I find sadness in a day spent housebound by the frailties of an aging body in relation to the risks posed by ice. But I can’t help but smile and feel the inner joy of spirit when I look out the window at the bountiful and gratuitous beauty to be found there. Ice droplets remind me to smile with joy.