One of my favorite stories is about the famous artist Auguste Renoir. One of his best friends, Henri Matisse, even though he was 30 years younger, was a constant companion of Renoir. During the last decade of the famous artist’s life when he was confined to his home because of his crippling arthritis, Matisse visited him daily.
In spite of his torturous pain Renoir kept painting. In fact, he did so almost to his dying day. “The Bathers,” one of his most famous paintings was completed only two years before he died — 14 years after he was stricken with this disabling disease.
On one occasion when Renoir was struggling with every brush stroke, his friend Matisse said to him, “Auguste, why do you continue to paint when you are in such agony?” To which Renoir replied, “The beauty remains; the pain passes.”
“Dear brothers, is your life full of difficulties and temptations? Then be happy, for when the way is rough, your patience has a chance to grow. So let it grow, and don’t try to squirm out of your problems. For when your patience is finally in full bloom, then you will be ready for anything, strong in character, full and complete [mature].” – James 1:2-4 (TLB)
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[Original illustration at this number was a duplicate of HolwickID #5179]