March is proving to be a hard month, yet again. On Sunday I received two pieces of news that left me feeling empty. One, KD Kilpatrick passed away after battling cancer for a very short time. Two, Andy Hurst, my pastor and friend is moving back to Lubbock in June to be the Senior Pastor at a UMC church there. Have I mentioned I’m not a fan of change?? Although in both instances there are some positive points. KD didn’t suffer and is now dancing in Heaven; Andy’s going back home to family. Of course in both cases, family is being left behind. I wish I could say I’m in the accepting stage of grief. I’m not. Truthfully, I’m heartbroken. As much as I hate to admit it, I feel lost.

I met KD last year during a building campaign. You can’t be in the same room with him without feeling warmth. His eyes twinkle when he smiles and he makes you feel like you’ve been friends for years. Any chance I had to talk to him, I took it. He loved his wife, his family, and our church. He was a kidder. He loved to crack jokes and tell stories. He’s the leader that you want on your side because when he believes in you, you can’t help but strive to do your very best. I have no doubt that hundreds will be here tomorrow to say their goodbyes to this beloved man.

I met Andy when I was a senior in high-school. At the time he was the Director of the LA Tech Wesley Foundation. As I was nearing the end of my high-school career and preparing to start my collegiate journey at Tech, my friend and soon to be college roommate, decided to check Wesley out so we could start meeting people. Andy was instrumental in that even though he ended up moving to Lubbock before I started college to be the Director of the Texas Tech Wesley Foundation. He didn’t stay away long though. He came back to Ruston to be the Associate Pastor at Trinity and to be the lead preaching pastor at our contemporary service. We were excited to get him back. During that time he became a counselor, an encourager, and a friend. He stayed connected to my life while I was away at seminary and when I moved back to Ruston 3 years ago, he was the one that pushed to bring me on staff here at Trinity when I wasn’t even certain this was where I needed to be. He’s challenged me, loved me, prayed over me, and been a constant source of God’s grace in my life. He’s one of the most selfless men I’ve ever met. He knows Scripture like the back of his hand. He loves unconditionally. He puts his family first but we take a close second. He is the epitome of what a good pastor should look like. I can’t imagine my life or this church without him. The next couple of months will prove to be a rollercoaster of emotions as we attempt to prepare him well and send him forth to his next church family. Many tears have been shed and I’m sure many more are to come.