I barely knew you. I had every intention of getting to know you better, but I always used the excuse of being too busy. I had the mentality of “I’ll text him next week” all the time, and here I am regretting every bit of that. Your life was too short brother. I remember when you came in for orientation and just sat and talked to me for 20 minutes when you should have been in the other room. I knew within that short time that you loved Jesus, and it brought me so much joy knowing that I would get to see you around. I remember coming by camelback and seeing you there, and sitting in on your pow wows. I remember your smile that could make anyone’s day better. I remember playing cards against humanity with you, and dying of laughter because of some cards that you played. I remember sitting next to you while watching some stupid cake show, waiting for people to show up to game night. I remember the first time I saw you at my church I got super pumped, and when you went up to the front to get prayer I knew you were a man after God’s heart. I remember praying for you where I was because I knew God was going to use you in mighty ways. I remember finally being able to say hi to you at church the next week and we got to talk about how cool our church is and how big of a God we serve. I remember the Lord highlighting you in my mind, and telling me that you were going to impact me in a big way. And you did.
Keaton, I barely knew you. I really wish I had put in the effort to hang out, but thats life I guess. I know you are hanging out with Jesus in heaven right now, happier than you ever were down here. But before I accept that your gone I have a few things I want to tell you.
You made an impact on me. I know the interactions that we had were always short, but I will remember every last one of them because of the way that you carried yourself. I saw a spirit of vulnerability in you that is so rare, yet so beautiful. I saw a man who loves Jesus and didn’t let anything in life get in the way of that relationship. From the stories I have heard, and the people I have talked to, you were one hell of a guy. I only wish that I could have experienced what that friendship would have been like. But you left a legacy man. I know people here are going to love Jesus harder and deeper because of the way that you loved Jesus. People are going to laugh a little louder and smile a little wider because they know you are watching down on them. Especially me.
I barely knew you, but that doesn’t stop the fact that I will miss you constantly. Knowing that the option of getting to know you isn’t even there anymore sucks so bad. You will always be in my heart. I love you dude.
