Today I said goodbye to one of my oldest friends. Some have said that "a dog is a man's best friend." Emotionalism aside, this saying testifies to the special bond that can develop between a man and his dog. Jasmine held a very special place in my heart. This Cocker Spaniel was only a couple weeks old when Elizabeth and I brought her into our family. In fact, she was our only family in those days. That was almost 15 years ago. I could write a very entertaining book of my adventures (and misadventures) with Jasmine over her decade and a half of life. She was an adventurer right up to the finish line. Yet, seasons change. I knew this day was coming, but that hasn't stopped the tears from flowing. My comfort is in knowing that there will be a day when the seasons of tears will be gone forever (Rev 21:4).

I am reminded of this glorious reality every time my family plays the game "Everdell" in which adorable woodland creatures are constantly preparing for the changing seasons. Finally, after all the seasons have come and gone, the game is over. So it is with life. God has ordained "seasons" for His people, and with each season there is a purpose and an opportunity, victories and losses, laughter and weeping (Eccl 3:1). But there is coming a day when the harshness of these seasons will be no more. The bitter cold of winter will be gone forever!

In C. S. Lewis's "Chronicles of Narnia", one of the characters laments that "it is always winter, but never Christmas." Yet, the day finally comes when the power of winter is broken for good. So it will be for us. Weeping may endure for a might, but joy is coming (Psalm 30:5). So, I am going to play these seasons with all I've got. I am going to laugh with abandon, and (on days like today) I am going to weep without embarrassment. And through it all, I will keep looking for the joy set before us - which is Jesus.