Loss and Gain

one week ago today, two very special people left this life for grander things. one of those people was my 95 year old Granny who lived in florence, alabama. this trip to florence was a sad occasion, but a good time spent with family. Granny lived a full, long life of service to our Lord, and we celebrated that at her funeral on Mother's day. there could have been no better day to honor and remember Granny than Mother's day; she was mother, grandmother and great-grandmother to 104 of us, and we will miss her sorely.
the other person was a 17 year old friend from honduras. his name was Hanibal Martinez. Hanibal lived with my missionary friends in san marcos. he lived a challenging, short life, but he lived it well. he became a Christian about a year ago. it is sad for us that he won't be around for years to come, but i am confident that he is now in a place even more beautiful than the mountains of southern honduras.

For godly grief and the pain God is permitted to direct, produce a repentance that leads and contributes to salvation and deliverance from evil, and it never brings regret; but worldly grief (the hopeless sorrow that is characteristic of the pagan world) is deadly [breeding and ending in death]. -- 2 Corinthians 7:10 (Amplified Bible)