There is one small bud on my orchid. At first, I think it is early for it to bloom. Then I remember that it was about this time two years ago when my friend gifted it to me. It was covered in purple blossoms and I was a bit in awe, not sure I could care for it. Orchids remain somewhat exotic to me.

Yet it bloomed again the next year and now seems to like its home by a south-facing window, even though the view outside is all snow. So I will wait and watch for the bud to unfurl into purple.

Which makes it the perfect companion to my Lent. Waiting and watching. The rhythm of the seasons. Impossible beauty out of seeming barrenness. The persistence of God’s creation. The abundance of loving-kindness awaiting discovery.

We have waited in silence
on your loving-kindness, O God.
Psalm 48:8