The Purple Gift of Winter

“Be still, and know that I am God.”  ​Psalm 46:10 

When I worked for the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra fifteen years ago, I used to joke with our more business-minded board members about a brutal truth in the orchestra world: 

“If your company manufactured a product in half the time, you’d get a raise. If we finished Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony in half the time, we’d get fired!” 

Some things in this world are simply meant to be savored. Productivity and hurry need not apply. 

I was reminded of that recently when Hudson and I visited Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge near Sherman, Texas. If you haven’t been, it’s worth the trip. There’s a small nature center staffed by people who genuinely love the land, and hiking trails that carry you through open prairie and wooded paths. 

We were there with Hudson’s Cub Scout den. When we entered the nature center, each child was given a Junior Ranger activity book with a scavenger hunt to complete along the trail. The morning was cold - temperatures in the thirties with steady wind - so spotting wildlife would take patience. 

“This is going to be an awesome challenge,” I told the group of seven to nine year-olds hiking with me. 

At first, things went well. We found insects tucked under leaves, spider webs stretched between branches, and even saw a fish jump in a pond. But as the boxes filled in, it became obvious where we’d struggle. One item remained unchecked: a colorful flower. Finding one on the Texas prairie in winter is no small task. 

I stopped the scouts a few times and asked them to look carefully. No luck. Eventually, another adult said, “Come on, guys, don’t worry about the flowers. There are some back at the nature center.” 

I winked at the kids. “Let’s see if we can find one out here anyway.” 

Ten more minutes passed. Still nothing. Again came the reminder: “Guys, keep walking! I promise there are flowers at the nature center.” 

“Okay!” I replied cheerfully, without any intention of giving up. “I just know there’s going to be one soon.” 

And then, there it was. In the tiniest patch of weeds, barely rising above the leaves, a small tube-shaped purple flower stood quietly in the cold. 

“WOOOO! WE DID IT! GUYS, COME HERE! WE FOUND A FLOWER! IT’S PURPLE!” the scouts cheered. 

Some things are just meant to be savored. 

If we had hurried back to the nature center, where the kids already knew human-planted flowers existed, there would have been no awe. No joy. No sense of discovery. Slowing down long enough to look closely made room for wonder. 

Faith works the same way. We can approach God as if the goal is efficiency: read faster (Bible in a Year?), finish sooner, move on. But Scripture isn’t a checklist to complete. It’s more like a landscape to walk through. God is not in a hurry, and formation rarely happens at speed. 

Sometimes the most faithful thing we can do is slow our pace, pay attention, and trust that what we’re seeking will be revealed. All we need is the patience to stay long enough to see it. 

Reflect: What “finish line” are you rushing toward right now, and what might be lost if you don’t linger along the way? 

Pray: God of patience and presence, slow our steps when we are tempted to rush ahead. Teach us to notice where You are already at work, even in small and unexpected places. Free us from the belief that finishing faster means loving You better. Help us stay long enough to see what You are quietly revealing. Amen. 

With faith, hope, and love,  Eric Smith