Dicranopteris Artwork and Bible Verse Reflection for January 2026
Starting a New Year
As we start a new year, there are so many things on my mind. This year brings a season of change and much excitement for my family and me. As I write this, I am likely soon to pick up my firstborn son from his first day of primary school, thinking about how to entertain a six-year-old while I get some work done. We spent the past few months preparing our family. I am also, as always, learning to manage the tension between personal goals and family commitments. At the moment, we are reassured that he is in good hands and thankful to God for guiding us each step of the way.
For as long as I can remember, after making New Year’s resolutions at the start of the year, I have pretty much broken all of them. I jot down my goals in January, give myself another chance in February during Chinese New Year, and often abandon them by March.
A new year brings so many feelings. I am excited, yet part of me is also worried and anxious. There is some fear of the unknown, yet a certain energy that says yes, I can do it. I also know from past experience that there will be disappointment too.
Dicranopteris – God is Incomprehensible
The theme of this artwork, "God is Incomprehensible," features the Dicranopteris linearis fern. It is okay if you find it hard to pronounce too.
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
Isaiah 55:8-9
I encountered this fern while walking along Rifle Range Nature Park. I was fascinated by the fern’s curly fronds, slowly unfurling as they grow and spreading in a fractal pattern. It reminded me so much of the uncertainties a new year brings, so many unknowns. But God’s thoughts are not our thoughts, and neither are His ways our ways. Even in the midst of these things, we may not understand, yet we can trust that His plans are always good.
Trusting God in the Midst of Loss
Around this time in August 2025, while preparing this artwork for the 2026 Botanical Calendar, my cousin suddenly passed away at the age of 58 from a stroke. He was a loving father of four and a wonderful husband, known for his kindness, generosity, and love for God. As a family, we do not understand why God took him so suddenly, yet even in this, we can anchor our hearts in the truth that His ways are indeed higher than our ways and His thoughts higher than our thoughts.
Reflecting on this loss deepened my understanding of Isaiah 55:8-9. Just as the fern’s fronds slowly unfurl in ways we cannot predict, God’s work in our lives often unfolds beyond our understanding. In seasons of uncertainty, grief, or change, He reminds us to trust Him fully.
A Reflection for the New Year
Thank you for walking this journey with me. I am excited about what God has in store for you in 2026. May He be your guide every step of the way as we depend on Him.
The next time you see a Dicranopteris fern, pause and remember that God is at work even in the unknown. Remember that His thoughts are higher than our plans and that His ways are higher than ours.
How have you seen God’s guidance in the unknown? I would love to hear your reflections. Just reply to this post or leave a comment below.