by Calvin Hecht
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Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him… Revelation 3:20 NKJV
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"At this time, several family and friends would like to pay tribute to the memory of Kevin."
And, with those words, Kevin's grandfather, emotionally and physically spent, turned from the pulpit and slowly walked to a large, upholstered, wood-framed chair on the side of the dais and sat down heavily. As Pastor Gus did so, Kevin's father and mother stood from their seats in the front row of the sanctuary and walked to the pulpit.
Kevin's father stood silently at his familiar pulpit with his head bowed for a long moment. He then placed his right arm around the waist of Kevin's mother and drew her close. He raised his head, eyes glistening, and viewed family and friends in the audience. He began to speak, barely able to control his emotions, thanking those in attendance for their love and support. He reiterated the essence of what Kevin's grandfather had said and the confidence and comfort that he and Kevin's mother had in knowing their son was a born-again believer and where Kevin was at that very moment — in the loving arms of his Savior. He then spoke about Kevin and the blessing that Kevin had been, citing several poignant events in Kevin's life as examples. At the remembrance of those examples, Kevin's mother, face composed but drawn, laid her left cheek on her husband's chest, tears freely flowing.
A half-dozen others, including one of Kevin's high school teachers and including Megan, also offered eulogies.
The last to speak was Curt. Seated in the front row of the sanctuary, Curt stood, walked to and stepped up onto the dais, and walked to the pulpit. Curt grasped the left and right edges of the top of the lectern, his head hung low as he attempted to compose himself. Finally, he looked up, took a deep breath, and made eye contact with the audience. He began the eulogy with no notes, from the heart.
"My name is Curt. Kevin was…" Curt stopped, looked up to the ceiling of the sanctuary, took a deep, ragged breath, and then lowered his gaze to those seated in the pews, "Kevin is my… my best friend. I use the present tense, because I know he lives because, while on Earth, he believed in Jesus as his Savior and, by believing, the Bible tells me that Kevin had eternal life. So, last Thursday, Kevin simply — as Pastor Gus said at the gravesite — simply transitioned from this life to his new life — life eternal — with Jesus in Heaven.
"I want to tell you about two encounters that Kevin and I had while in the Jemez. Most of you know that Kevin and I were camping in the Jemez — just having a good time hiking and exploring — kind of a way to wrap up our summer vacation before school started up again.
"But, the day before Kevin's accident, well, that day was special. You see, Kevin wanted some time by himself — he'd been reading a lot the past couple of days in the New Testament his dad had given him before we started to hike that first morning.
"So, like I said, he told me he needed some quiet time so he took off from camp, walking upstream from our camping spot we had next to a trout stream.
"Kevin was gone for maybe two hours. I stayed in camp and busied myself whittling on a piece of wood. After a while Kevin came strolling back into camp and I immediately saw something in his face — I don't know how to explain it — but he had like changed. I can't explain it, but I saw it. His eyes had a different — I don't know — call it a different light.
"I didn't know what happened to him, but I could tell, could sense, that something had happened, so I asked him. He explained that he had a spiritual experience — he used the word 'encounter' — he said he had an encounter with God, not in the physical sense but in the spiritual sense — and that encounter, through prayer and reading the New Testament his dad had given him, had persuaded him to follow his father's footsteps in the ministry and preach the good news of Jesus and the eternal life He offers.
"Now, you need to know that just a couple of days before, Kevin and I were talking and he explained a concept that I had never heard before, but a concept that, well, bothered me. Kevin said that his dad had once preached a sermon about something called the God vacuum that exists in each of us. You know, it's… it's that place deep inside each of us where God wants to exist, if we would let Him.
"Well, like I said, that bothered me. It just kind of ate at me. And, thinking back on it, I now know that it was the Holy Spirit working in me to convince me of my need for Jesus as my Savior.
"Anyway, Kevin came into camp a changed man — I knew it; I saw it — and then it hit me: I knew I wanted whatever Kevin had — his joy, his confidence. I wanted his kind of relationship with God — saying it another way, Kevin showed — he displayed — what believing in Jesus was all about."
Kevin paused for several seconds and then, his voice husky with emotion said, "I wanted what Kevin had. I wanted Jesus. I wanted my God vacuum filled. So, right then and there, I asked Kevin to help me have Jesus — receive Jesus into my heart and life. And Kevin did exactly that."
Again, Curt's voice choked with emotion as he said, "Kevin led me to Jesus. Yes, on that afternoon in the Jemez, I, too, had an encounter. My encounter, thanks to Kevin, was with Jesus Christ. Kevin explained the plan of salvation to me and led me in what I have since learned is called 'the sinner's prayer.' Through that prayer, I asked Jesus into my heart and into my life, and my life has not been the same since.
"So, you see, Kevin did follow in his dad's footsteps. Although Kevin would have the accident the next day and not be able to preach to hundreds or thousands, he did, in fact, preach the Gospel — the good news of Jesus Christ — just like his father, except it was to only one person, me. And for that, I will be eternally grateful.
"I'll close by saying that on that special afternoon when Kevin led me to Jesus, Kevin told me that I was now his brother in Christ. I felt that kinship then, and I feel it now."
Tears began to roll down Curt's cheeks.
"I look forward to that day in Heaven when I have two encounters — encounters of happiness and joy so great that I can barely imagine — the first encounter with Jesus, my Savior, and then the second encounter with my brother in the Lord, Kevin."
His voice husky with emotion, tears streaming, Curt said, "After Jesus and I embrace, I know I'll see Kevin, and when I do, I'll embrace him and I'll say, 'We meet again, my brother. This time, forever.' "
Curt released his grip on the lectern, turned, and resumed his seat in the front row of the sanctuary.
Curt's eulogy was the last of the eulogies.
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Pastor Gus stood and walked to the pulpit. "Let us pray." He then thanked God for Kevin and for the time Kevin's loved ones and friends had with him. He thanked God for the Comforter, the Holy Spirit. He thanked God for sending His Son, Jesus, and the gift of eternal life made possible through Jesus. Finally, he asked God to bless the fellowship and food as the celebration of Kevin's life continued.
During Pastor Gus' prayer, the song Precious Memories played softly in the background through the sanctuary's sound system.
With that prayer ending the formal services, a sense of finality swept those attending, and the collective mood gradually transitioned into that unique time of fellowship common to many family and friends following the formal rituals of a funeral.
Epilogue
The Mysterious Ways
Curt began his senior year of high school on a Monday, exactly two weeks after Kevin was buried.
Curt's experiences during the waning months of summer had been so marked by the two main events of that summer — Curt's personal encounter with God and Kevin's accident — that his life had taken on a new purpose and a new direction. Unlike his previous school years when he slid by with minimal effort, he bore down and excelled academically with straight A's in all of his classes throughout the year, much to the surprise of his friends, teachers, and counselor.
Curt also contacted his uncle in Alaska and told him that he had changed his mind
about doing the salmon counting stint in the Aleutians the following summer, explaining instead that he was going to early enroll in a Bible college, get a degree in theology, and become a pastor.
His uncle expressed surprise and said he could not understand why Curt was passing up such an opportunity that would probably result in a great, well-paying job and career with the Alaska Fish and Game Department. However, Curt turned the tables on his uncle, saying that there were other jobs, other careers, and preaching the gospel was the one Curt had settled upon.
Curt then used his uncle's incredulity to witness to his uncle about his life-changing encounter in the Jemez and the impact it had on his life, in turn, inviting his uncle to learn about Jesus and accept the gift of salvation.
Curt was disappointed when his crusty old uncle said at the conclusion of Curt's witness, "Ain't for me, nephew. Don't believe in that stuff."
Curt said that he was sorry to hear that but that he would pray for his uncle anyway. "Maybe one day when you're faced with eternity and sense your God vacuum, you'll change your mind," challenged Curt.
The uncle was silent for a moment and then replied, "Don't think so," and Curt's heart sunk but his spirit lifted a prayer to God, beseeching God to work in his uncle's life toward the acceptance of Jesus and the born-again experience and salvation.
After Curt hung up from his conversation with his Alaska uncle, he thought about the story in Exodus and how Egypt's Pharaoh kept hardening his heart to God time after time with devastating consequence. He worried for his uncle that his uncle's hard heart toward God would eventually have devastating and eternally damning consequences.
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Four years later upon graduation from Bible college, Curt secured a position as a co-pastor in a small, non-denominational Bible-believing church in Odessa, Texas, thanks to a good word from Pastor Gus in neighboring Midland.
During the second year of Curt's pastorship, one of the church members, an unassuming, down-to-earth Texan, took a particular liking to Curt. Several months later, Curt was surprised to get an invitation to lunch from this particular parishioner. Curt was even more surprised by the location of the lunch — the executive dining room of the Petrochemical Building. Curt soon discovered that his low-keyed, unassuming parishioner was the principle in a thriving oil exploration company. The man, flush with West Texas oil wealth, told Curt that he felt led by the Holy Spirit to purchase several acres of real estate suitable for a Christian Bible camp for underprivileged and at-risk youth. He said he could not shake the feeling that God wanted the location to be in the Albuquerque area, and because he also knew Curt longed to be back in New Mexico, he felt God was telling him that Curt was the man to manage the property and act as its executive director.
Curt was taken aback by the man's revelation. Nevertheless, Curt prayed for several months, seeking God's direction and a sign if the Bible camp was indeed what God's will was for Curt.
One day, out of the blue, Kevin's father, Pastor Ken, phoned Curt. They had had very little contact for the past several years except for an exchange of newsy greeting cards at Christmas and Easter. Pastor Ken said that God had laid on his heart that Curt was wrestling with an important decision, and Pastor Ken wanted Curt to know that he was praying for Curt.
In that same telephone conversation, Curt explained, that, yes, he had been wrestling with an important decision, waiting on God for an answer. Curt then explained the offer made by the wealthy Texas oilman.
Pastor Ken listened quietly and then said, "Two days ago, the Baca sisters — you may remember them, twins, spinsters, in their nineties, and regular members of my church — well, and they came to me and said they own twelve acres next to the Santa Fe National Forest in— you won't believe this— in the Jemez. They want to give the land to the church. A gift.
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Sixty-four days later, Curt, having given notice, left the Odessa church, and, with land ownership details completed, Curt took on his new role overseeing construction at what would be called the Baca Bible Camp.
The Christian oilman paid for the construction within the Bible camp, including a chapel, combination kitchen and dining hall, showers, and four twelve-person cabins, all in rustic, natural pine planking. In addition, four outdoor assemble areas each capable of seating fifty youths were strategically constructed throughout the grounds. Two of the assembly areas were covered with a roof only, sides open. The other two assembly areas were completely in the open.
During construction, Curt made sure that the contractors preserved as much of the natural mountain landscape of towering ponderosa pines, elegant blue spruce, and massive granite outcroppings and huge boulders as possible, incorporating them into the camp design and construction wherever possible.
During the construction phase, there was one piece of construction that Curt reserved for himself. The northwest corner of the camp featured a blue spruce-wooded plateau approximately two-hundred feet more or less square. It was the highest point in the camp and overlooked most of the buildings and pathways that were not otherwise hidden by trees, boulders, and rock outcroppings. Curt cleared the underbrush from the area and fashioned five eight-foot wooden benches made from large logs split lengthwise. Each bench had a separate pathway from the main path and each bench was separate from all the other benches either by large existing boulders or by several of the blue spruce trees. In that manner, each bench location had a degree of privacy from all the other benches. Curt's intent was that this plateau be a special place for camp goers to have quiet time to read, meditate, and pray.
When Curt was satisfied with the work he had done on the plateau, he hand painted and varnished a sign on a six-inch wide piece of rustic pine lumber, nailed the sign to a post, and drove the post and sign into the ground where the path from the camp below crested the hill immediately before the plateau.
The sign simply said, In Memory of Kevin.
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Over the ensuing years, Curt and his staff would be instrumental in helping to lead hundreds of camp attendees to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
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I hope this book met your expectations — that was my goal. To the extent that I achieved that goal, please take five minutes and give the book a candid review on the site where you purchased it.
If you would like to contact me directly via email, please use this address: bookreviewer2002-encounters(at)yahoo.com.
And, most importantly, thank you for reading my book!