Goodbye Herman?

We bought our house nearly a year ago. It came with a rental cottage. The man in the hill cottage is a hermit named Herman. He's 84 yrs old. I've enjoyed getting to know him- though I was never really sure if I should go visit uninvited- he likes to sleep on the couch in his boxers. Herman is not & never was a Christian. He calls himself a Buddhist-Shintu. Like Grandpa B., he's also a WWII vet. Herman enjoys reading the Bible, but only for entertainment. He especially likes the story of Joshua when the sun stood still. He believes it was really the earth that stood still and thinks that it must have been very funny to see people flying all over the place when the world came to a screeching halt. Herman is one of the kindest, most gentle persons I have ever known. He has 2 very FAT dalmatians that he spoils rotten, also some game hens that run around his yard. (and mine) Nothing makes Herman happier than taking care of critters & doing yard work. The man has a green thumb like you wouldn't believe and knows how to get rid of all kinds of pests without killing them. Living near Herman has it's advantages- besides inheriting Romeo the Rooster. (See 'Raising Chickens' to learn more) He makes awesome jelly and loves to share it with us. Also, when his garden was in it's prime, he shared fruit & vegetables with us. It's amazing how Christ-like he is! Every so often when he gets lonely, he calls and says, "I could stand for some company. I have a glass with some ice ready- come up and have a Coke with me on the porch." I'm not much of a pop drinker, don't like bubbles in my drink, but for Herman, I make an exception. I go sit & sip with him. He loves to talk about his world travels, his knowledge of gardening, etc. Well one afternoon he said, "I'm not a Christian and never will be- here's why... I don't believe in any God that would take people who mess up for 60-70 yrs and burn them in Hell for eternity. Hell is just something they told us at Vacation Bible School to make us be good. Also, I don't believe in reincarnation or eternal life. I think it's too good to be true. You see, someday I'll die and be worm food to nourish the soil. I saw many men die on the battlefield- it was terrible! I didn't see any soul go up or down, they were just plain dead." I just listened as he continued, telling me why he loves clean, peaceful living. He's almost completely a vegetarian- simply because he loves animals too much to eat them. I had several nice visits with Herman, though it was clear his mind has been made up concerning Christianity. We enjoyed each other anyway. Sometimes God simply asks us to love- not to preach. Herman developed bone cancer, not long after we moved here. I took him food from time to time and saw him out in his yard less & less. Last night his dogs barked most of the night. Today we learned that Herman was moved to a retirement home where he's trying to get better, but according to his son-in-law they expect Herman to die in a few months. I went up to check on his dogs. As always, Herman has provided well for them. They have access to get in & out of the house to do their "neccessaries". I cried as I walked through the quiet house and tried to comfort the dogs. I checked the fridge to make sure nothing would rot. It was pretty much empty, except for a 6 pack of Cokes. Guess he left them for me, knowing I would be checking on the dogs for him. I've really gotten attached to Herman. I feel sad that he never accepted Jesus as his Savior. Herman will soon die without having the promise of life eternal, but I am SO glad we were friends!!