DECEMBER 10TH | A SECRET LIED WITHIN THE ROOT
Kristin Kjorlaug Dobrowolski. “Family Tree of Christmas.” Charcoal on paper.
Just as a mustard seed, small as seeds come,
grows into a tree that birds choose to nest in,
So Bethlehem, small among the clans of Judah,
Gave root to the seed that would grow to be the ultimate tree of life.
This root of Jesse,
Modest in its appearance,
Unassuming in its entrance,
Was planted in the spot
Predicted by tales and prophesies of old.
As it took hold in the fertile soil,
Signs and wonders in the heavens
Bore witness
While the forces of man attempted
To halt its growth.
The wind tore its branches away,
Hail rained down,
And death attempted to destroy it completely.
But the secret that lied within the root
Was that it could not fail.
Its fruit would bring sustenance to the weary,
Nourishment for the faint of heart,
Life to the lifeless.
Its branches would extend to the far reaches of the earth,
Providing shade to the wanderer,
A place of rest for all creatures great and small.
Its promise will always hold true -
And one day,
When all have gazed upon its beauty,
It will stand as the centerpiece of our lives -
Where it will stay for all of time.