Despite his grief over the recent loss of his cousin Darryl, Christian rapper Lecrae has chosen to honour Darryl's life by inspiring people to treasure every minute God blesses them with and to make the most of their lives.
He shared a collage of photos of Darryl on his Facebook page, with one showing Darryl in uniform, the other showing Darryl with a funny smirk while wearing an "Ask me about Jesus" t-shirt, and the others showing group family photos.
"My cousin Darryl overcame similar childhood wounds," he captioned the photo collage. "He broke the cycles we are often born into and beat the odds. He is an inspiration to me and for his life to be taken last night is hard. Pray for his family. It's real out here. Life is fragile. Don't waste it. Stop spending time arguing over petty things and make a difference. Live for something greater than yourself. God put us here for a limited time. Don't waste it."
Lecrae's message has reached thousands of fans, with hundreds of people expressing their condolence and their agreement with the rapper's words.
"I'm so sorry for your loss. I am praying for God's perfect peace and healing for all affected by the loss of your brave, courageous, selfless cousin. I am praying that God meets the needs of his family and blesses them beyond comprehension," a user named Colleen Bennett wrote.
Laura Mora also wrote: "Life is too short, I wish people understood that. We gotta love & spend every moment with the ones we hold most dear, and live for God sharing His word. May God comfort, hold and shine down on you and your family at this hard time, especially on his wife and child. God bless you. 'Outta the ashes we rise' prayers going up."