It was cold.. his hands numb. nose runny, and his entire life shivering.. while staring at his breath escaping him.. he softly spoke to himself...

"Oh Winter, you made your introduction to my suffering of the present moment after all."

"It looks like my 2nd season of being abandoned by mercy has settled in.. The heat was more bearable than this, after all, The shade of the dancing trees kept that scorching sun from burning my back..

Yet the chill of possible death is closer than the warmth of life.. this is the season... " he thought to himself..

It has been months since he was here.. weak, without hope that he could be saved. This young adult that was once filled with ambition and life was on the verge of death after being inflicted by the despair..

Alone, without the possibility of any kind of communications from the modern world. He thought.

" They must be wondering, no...by now im sure some would have moved on from mourning.."

"I should have have prepared some firewood, if only i remembered where i put that wood splitter after killing that bear.... oh yea, i dont even know how to start a fire without any lighter"

"I wonder how long this cabin has been abandoned? O' My friends, if only i was able to save you all.. but i was to weak..

How many tears have i cried? Its all my fault... i led my friends here.. if only i had known that nature could be so cruel. "

2 months ago Abel and his friends decided to go hiking on the trails of -El Caminito del Rey-, located in the country of Spain.. When Abel was tempted to stray from the trail his friends tried to convince him it was a bad idea, considering no one had any wildlife experience... It was a cruel fate when they ignored warnings and went off to be met with a wild bear starving for food. They tried to out run the bear yet one by one the 3 friends met their end from exhaustion.. until Abel was able to find a small cabin and he took an axe fending off the bear.... Out of the 4, only 1 survived that onslaught... Now a couple months has gone by a memory came waltzing to the screen of his mind... The memory of what took place before they traveled... his 3 friends circling him, praying for his protection, and the redemption of his soul.. perhaps his guardian angels, who have always helped him out of trouble...only this time, it cost them their lives... You would wonder.. man with such a heavy burden, being inflicted by the arrows of guilt and sorrow, a war in himself between him and guilt played.

"YOU'RE A MURDERER"

"YOU KILLED THEM.."

Guilt roared.

"..No, i didn't mean too i didn't know the bear was there."

He responded.

"YOU LED THEM TO THEIR DEATHS!"

Guilt roared again.

"..No, you're wrong! i loved them dearly."

He responded..

The days, since that time... a raging battle of sanity vs insanity.

1000s of miles away Abel's wife, Celeste praying for her husband..

"God, its been a while now, yet you know for some reason i can't give up hope that Abel is still out there.. Please comfort him, please bring him back home.. in the name of Jesus Christ i pray, amen."

Guilt(noun)

the fact of having committed a specified or implied offence or crime.

A powerful yet gentle still small voice can be heard in the dead of night, as Abel dozes from exhaustion... rations were gone half a month ago, fresh drink is ran out recently... is this death??

As all hope was gone, a still small voice, gentle yet powerful piercing his spirit saying...

"Abel...your family needs you, come back home..."

Family? Yes, how could he forget... home was waiting for him..

That voice was as clear as day, he did not know who but he knew that voice was hope, was mercy, was grace.. that sound, that language, that love.. all it took for his peace to come back was to hear the Prince of peace speak...

"Its okay Abel, your friends prayed to me and asked me to protect you.. your friends decided long before that hike to give their life for you because they loved you as i have loved them.. They are here with me in a better place, a better world.. No more sorrow, no more pain, no more debts, hunger, no more rain... Abel i have heard your cries and i know you have been remorseful of your actions, even so.... I FORGIVE YOU.."

These words, what sweet, rejuvenating words...what we read was nothing compared to what Abel felt when these words reached his heart and soul.. even so in one sentence we could understand the freedom Abel experienced having learned a valuable lesson.. he was severely humbled from this moment on... Ah, yes that one sentence from Abel was that was filled with such life, joy and conviction..

"Thank you.. for hearing me. Thank you for saving me"

That moment angels came and carried Abel home... Where he would face his new world. That cold winter, he had been born-again. Years later with his children and after telling his story that was published and a bestseller. He, by the grace and mercy of God was able to earn more than enough to bless the family of his 3 friends.. David, John, and Noah.. if he could describe his friends to all those who asked, he would lead them to this passage found in the Holy Bible...

John 15:13

13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

Paradise is waiting.. to those who seek it and endure the hardship that comes with love and faith.

It does not matter what you have done, home is waiting and forgiveness is free. Jesus paid it all.

The End.