You Are a Tree: And Other Metaphors to Nourish Life, Thought, and Prayer

“That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers.”—Psalm 1:3

Sometimes we describe ourselves as trees. When we’re thriving, we speak of being rooted and fruitful, in a good season. When we struggle, we might describe ourselves as withering, cut off from friendship and the world. These ways of describing ourselves matter because they shape the ways we live.

But in a world dominated by efficiency, we have begun to use more unforgiving metaphors. We speak of ourselves as computers: we process things, we recharge. In doing so, we come to expect of ourselves an exhausting, relentless productivity.

You Are a Tree examines how the metaphorical descriptions we use in everyday life shape the way we think, pray, and live. Weaving together meditations on our common human experiences, poetry, Scripture, and the Christian tradition, Joy Marie Clarkson explores how metaphors help us understand things like wisdom, security, love, change, and sadness.

This book invites you to pay attention—to your experiences, and to the words you use to describe them. That attention reveals a richly layered and meaningful world, a refreshing perspective that nurtures wonder, gratitude, and hope.

“Extraordinarily creative and beautifully written, You Are a Tree is a soul-stirring companion to life in God’s world that will enrich the spirit of all who read it.”—DAVID ZAHL, author of Low Anthropology

“Reading [Clarkson’s] book feels more like catching up with an old friend over coffee than sitting at the feet of a remote, inaccessible sage… . You Are a Tree is an illuminating guide to the metaphors we use for God and our own lives, and it will show you how to meditate on a metaphor and let its deeper meanings speak.”—Christianity Today