pain passes beauty remains

Sunday at Church Father Pat said an awesome homily-- he said Renoir and Matisse were good friends. and young Matisse would go visit Renoir everyday at his house. Renoir had arthritis, and he had a difficult time painting because of the pain. and when the pain was most intense, he couldn't even hold the brush, so he ouwl make his wife attach (the paintbrush) to his hand. when Matisse asked why he would not stop due the pain, Renoir answered

"becase pain passes, but beauty remains..."

i think it's such a deep statement. yesterday i was questioned about god and eternity. and i have my own internal struggle right now, and i tihnk renoir's words hold so much truth-- beauty remains, the pain passes.

I had asked God, hey, can you please encourage me a little? i feel a bit low. and i opened a book by mother teresa in a random page. it was a passage about sick people. it said, you can offer up your pain and that pain becomes a prayer. then it was like Mother Teresa spoke to me, and she said, "i thank God for you and your prayers. don't give up"..... yeah... God blows my mind away like that ALL the time!
then of course, i get here, and i have a sweet message by a Portugese woman saying she was reminded of Church. I thought, what a beautiful way for God to send encouragement. He shows how much He cares about a woman in the other side of the world through "coincidence" when He meant for everything to happen like this.

sure, i feel a bit low, i can't see where God is going, but i know where He takes me will be wonderful. pain is so very ephimeral, yet God listens to pain and creates something beautiful out of it. and beauty remains while pain passes.


i hope i was a little encouraging too.