Hoarfrost

One of my favorite winter weather phenomenon is hoarfrost. Technically, it’s defined as “white, interlocking ice crystals, deposited on the ground or exposed objects, that form when the air is moist, the wind is weak or absent, and surfaces are cold.”

Non-technically, it’s breath-taking.

Hoarfrost creates a magical fairy land out of the ordinary world. Each tree branch, each blade of grass, each berry, each weed is covered with a thick blanket of glittery ice crystals. And when the sun comes out, nature is encased in diamonds.

A week ago Wednesday, it looked like this.
















And this.
















And this.





















At our old house, it would often look like this.
















Or like this.
















Or like this.





















You can see why it’s a favorite. Even my husband, who harbors no love for winter, says hoarfrost is “the beautiful side of evil." It’s simply stunning.

Plus, it takes the ordinary and outlines it with brilliance. It magnifies what’s already there, forces us to see the oft-unacknowledged.

In a small way, it reminds me of the Christmas season. (Wait! Where are you going? Just go with me here for a minute. And to my husband? Quit rolling your eyes.)

Just as hoarfrost makes us aware of all sorts of details we normally overlook, so the holiday season highlights what’s really in our hearts.

If we are in a season of celebration, Christmas amplifies the joy. If we are in a season of grief, Christmas almost cruelly emphasizes our loss. If we are empty, Christmas’ festivities echo in the barrenness. If we are questioning, Christmas forces us to face our doubt.

I, for one, am thankful that my God is the God of Christmas – the true Christmas, not the holiday as the Western world imagines it.

Because He is the giver of all good gifts, we rejoice. Because He is the One who comforts, we mourn with hope. Because only He ultimately satisfies, we bring our hunger before Him. Because He is The Truth, we can ask without fear.

Wherever you find yourself this December, no matter what the hoarfrost of Christmas brings to light in your heart, I pray you will know the God of Christmas.

Because without Him, it’s all just snow that will melt in a morning.