Yesterday as I left my house to head to work, I saw a deer hiding in the grass near my well. He was holding still, but looking at me very intently. It wasn't until I said "Hello deer" to him that he ran off. I watched how gracefully he bounded through the long grass and was reminded of a painting that my mother-in-law painted for us as a wedding present. The painting shows a deer hiding in the grass. It was one of the nicest wedding gifts we received, and it means even more now that she has passed. It's funny how little things like seeing a deer can bring back memories that simultaneously bring joy and pain.

I came across this passage in 2 Corinthians 4:18: So we don't look at the troubles we can see right now; rather, we look forward to what we have not yet seen. For the trouble we see will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever." (NLT) God seemed to be showing me even more clearly that all this grief that we've been going through won't last forever, and that we have joy now because joy is eternal. Happiness is fleeting, but joy is permanent. I know that I am repeating myself, but I think this is what God is trying to impress upon me to help me to persevere.