This season of Christmas I happened to see
a humble cottage nestling among trees.
It did not shine; it simply appeared to look out for someone silently.
I couldn't help but peep inside when I thought
no one was around looking for me.
Inside was wooden floor, unpolished,
windows veiled, and a table laid
with dinner plates taken out specially for the day.
I couldn't see what food was there and which wine
sparkled in the glasses twinkling in the light.
Someone had just thrown in a shawl on the back of the chair,
and that was the only sign of someone being there.
A pair of twisted branches of a pine tree
hung over the scene
and cast a sheen
with little lamps suspended on their jagged bodies.
Nothing else was there to greet the eye
and yet a warmth of a presence proclaimed ,
it was the solstice,
a night which needed the light of the sublime!
Waves of darkness were spreading around.
But I had no fear; there was joy in the air.
I smiled and said, "Jesus would love to visit this place"
Someone was there to hear as I spoke.
I heard those words; yes, I did.
"Wouldn't you like to have dinner with Jesus?"
That was a miracle in this lonely place
and I had been arguing with myself endlessly,
"Miracles do not happen any more".
I turned around and looked at her,
wondering how and when she saw me there,
and heard me calling, "Jesus, come, the table is ready!"
I will not struggle any more to deplete the beauty of her voice and words.
Let the miracle be alive.
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Branches
Decorating with natural elements such as stones, plants, flowers always creates at home a very relaxing mood and makes you feel close to the environment even living in the center of the megalopolis. Though it might seem difficult to find them during the winter period, there is one thing you can always get for sure in the nearest park or forest – dry tree branches. Recently I have collected several of them and just put them in the vase and they instantly transformed my table vignette making it look very Zen and winter-inspired. Apart from this easiest way to use dry branches, there are so many other creative things you can do with them: whimsical candle holders, hangers, wall art, etc. Using them untreated will bring a rustic feel to your home, while painting them or covering with lacquer will highlight their unusual shape and you can coordinate them with the colour scheme of your room.
I strongly recommend you to collect old branches avoiding cutting them from the growing trees: thus you will not harm the nature and you will not need to dry them afterward but start decorating immediately.
Below are some wonderful DIY ideas of decorating with tree branches: I hope it will bring you some inspiration and desire to create.
1) Collecting some big branches and simply hanging them on the wall will help you to hide unattractive empty space and create unusual wall decor. Remember though to fix them properly, especially if you hang them above sitting area as we don’t want any accidents to happen. Another thing you can also do is to paint the branches in the same colour as you accent pieces – vases, rugs or decorative cushions to create complete and coordinating look. In one house I have seen entire old dead tree put upside down with roots supporting the ceiling: it looked absolutely fantastic though this is of course a very difficult project to accomplish where you will require the help of professional carpenter.
