Faith Through The Fire

Last Fall, Larry Gray's life was changed.

Larry was introduced to Groove Life through a podcast featuring our founder, Peter Goodwin. Seeing the similarities between Groove Life's missions and his own work at IMMI sparked Larry's interest. He bought his first Groove gear and packed it along for an outdoor excursion at the end of October. Tragically, that outing with his close friends and mentor turned into a catastrophe. A run-of-the-mill Saturday off-roading UTVs ended abruptly with an accident involving a fire. Larry received burns on his face and second-degree burns on his hands; his friend fared much worse.

When Larry was discharged, despite having wholly bandaged hands, Larry secured the buckle of his Groove Belt himself. Larry shared that the snap of that buckle empowered him with a sense of dignity, a reminder of the faith-based mission of Groove Life, and, through that, a small reminder of his own.

While en route to a follow-up care appointment, Larry received the news - his friend and mentor had succumbed to his injuries and passed away. The doctors downgraded Larry's bandages at the appointment, liberating his pinky and ring fingers. He can wear a Groove Ring on the newly healed skin and again be reminded of the beliefs he shares with Groove Life.

In Larry's own words - "I know through this tragedy God never blinked, and He is always in total control. My life will never be the same. I feel that I am lucky to be alive. I'm living to glorify Him and love my family. While on fire, you quickly learn that those are the only two things that really matter. I felt compelled to share this story to let the Groove Life team know that they are making a difference. It's encouraging to hear Groove's story, and it's an awesome reminder of the fruit that can be borne when serving the right priorities. It may sound like an insignificant detail, but Groove made an impact in my life."

We're grateful for Larry, for his sharing, and for the privilege to have been there for him.