Some very dear friends of ours lost their brother last night in a tragic car accident. He had flown into Sacramento and was just 20 minutes away from home in Bakersfield when he fell asleep at the wheel. He was only 19 years old.

I knew Landon less well than many others in our circle of friends, but he had a funny sense of humor, and we greatly enjoyed spending a little time with him in Sacramento this past March at a wedding of one of those friends.

It’s so hard to understand something like this. We stand but a few inches from a canvas, and from our vantage point, this part doesn’t look so good. Yet God is painting a huge masterpiece and eventually, we’ll be able to see the entire picture.

Landon will be missed, and tonight, our hearts and prayers are with the Brownells.

UPDATE: In the several times I met and spent time with Landon, I’d never heard about one of his many accomplishments: winning chess tournaments. His tragic death is the top story right now at the US Chess Federation web site, among numerous other blogs devoted to the game. All remember him as “the great sportsman who would shake your hand after a match, win or lose.”  What a great legacy.