Remembering Kyle

My heart is really hurting. Yesterday, our friend Kyle was killed in a motorcycle accident on Lake Elizabeth Road. He was 22.

 

I remember:

 

• one night toward the beginning of my leadership in youth ministry, Kyle sent Corey out to do something, and then stood up and spoke to his peers, and asked them to give Corey a break from picking on him.
• a chat discussion with Kyle after he spoke for our Student-Led-Service. That day marked, I think, the day when I knew for the first time, that God was working in Kyle's life and Kyle was responding.
• just last Sunday night (9/9/06), when Kyle shared a deep dark secret with the youth. He said he'd never told anyone... but that he's so obsessed with being clean, he smells his feet when he takes his shoes off.
• the Sunday before in the youth Bible study, Kyle shared that his bad habit was speeding.
• when Kyle got to the girl's cabin before me at camp and left crunched chips in my sleeping bag.
• when Kyle couldn't throw the ball to me at first base to save his life.
• sitting behind Kyle and Sarah in church yesterday, thinking that they'd probably marry.
• leaving church yesterday. I was putting Gracie in the carseat and my mom was standing beside me. Sarah and Kyle got into their car and backed out. Sarah was driving. The car honked, and we looked up, to see Kyle lean across and wave good-bye. That was the last time I saw him. Two and a half hours later he'd be with Jesus.
• Kyle letting his hair grow out. Pop called him Hollywood.
• the day in Kids Connect when Kyle brought Sarah over to introduce her to me.
• poor Kyle had to work during our Youth Christmas Scavenger hunt and the kids went over and videotaped him at Target.
• Christmas shopping at Target where Kyle worked. When Mom and I came out of the store, he'd left a ton of shopping carts directly behind our car.
• last Sunday after the youth had left, Kyle, Chad, and I sat at Chad's kitchen table discussing the future direction of our youth.
• decorating his tan bug at a lock-in one night.
• doing the quarter-funnel game during a lock-in. Gotcha!
• shortly after I took over the youth, after church one Sunday night, Kyle told my mom and I that the youth were going to a movie, and he asked us to come along. I felt so accepted! Then he asked me to go home and change first, because I looked too ghetto!
• once he and my mom sat behind me in church pointing out my gray hairs.
• my mom, Darlene, Vickie, and I ended up at Movies 12 where some of the youth were seeing I Am Sam. First we went over to the dollar store for some toilet paper and TP'd Kyle's bug. Then we bought tickets and went into the theater and sat behind them. Darlene sat directly behind Kyle's seat, leaned over, and ran her fingers up his bare leg. Now that was funny!
• bringing Kyle See's dark chocolate almonds to him at work at Anchor Blue. He loved dark chocolate like I do.
• stealing his unattended cell phone. I told his mom I had it but she let him sweat it out. I changed the message on his voice mail. It took several days for he and his brother Kasey to call it. When I answered they tried to play like they were the police. Too funny.
• when Kyle came over for lunch at Pop's... he loved the barbecued Spam!

 

This is a post-in-progress. I will update it periodically as new things come to mind.