Wednesday afternoon I got a call from a friend in LaGrange who informed me that my friend Perry Keyt had passed away. Immediately my heart sank, I felt like I couldn’t breathe. I was speechless!! Perry had moved from Powder Springs to be our Pastor at Callaway Park In LaGrange in September of 2007 and a few weeks after his move he was diagnosed with Lung Cancer. He fought and fought, and it was looking good at one point, and thats when Jessica and I and Pastor Perry decided that it was time for us to step out on faith and Plant Oasis Church in Augusta… Well, over the last few months he started to get worse, but he continued to fight, he fought right up until the last moment, because thats what Fighters do, they fight…
Perry (or who I like to refer to as BISHOP or PEPPY) was a man of unquestionable character and Integrity, a man of unending compassion, and a vibrant passionate worshipper of God… I am forever changed and impacted by my time serving this great man… I didn’t always agree, in fact there were lots of times we didn’t agree, but even then I loved him… I am forever grateful for all I learned under his leadership and thankful to him for all he invested into me. I will never forget my time with him and the memories I have because of that time.
I went to the viewing tonight at Trinity Chapel in Powder Springs, and saw the multitudes of people who came to visit with this family and pay their respects to this great man who had in some way impacted their life. And I thought to myself, I hope one day when i am no longer here that this many people will have been so impacted by my life that they will feel a need to come and tell me Goodbye… As I looked at my friend laying in that casket I thought about some of the conversations we have had over the last year… and I wished at that time that I had the chance to have one more conversation with him… If so I would probably say…
BISHOP, I’m sorry things have turned out like this, but you have inspired me, you have taught me so much about faith and fighting the good fight, I am proud to have known you, served you, and honored to be able to call you friend. Thank you for all the time you invested into me and I am very appreciative of all you have done for me. Thanks for believing in me. I truly love you.
I’m SAD tonight, but I know my friend is in a better place, I pray for Missy, and Matthew, and Tiffany… That God would wrap his loving arms around them and speak comfort over them and breathe peace into their hearts…
This clip makes me think of my friend…
