My name is Scott Gornto and Jen
(Kyle's wife) is my sister. Here are the words that I shared at Kyle's funeral
service. My hope is that they allow you to both embrace your grief over the
loss of Kyle as well as bring a bit of healing to your soul. Our hearts are
broken. Please pray for Kyle's family (Jen and their children and his
extended family) over the upcoming weeks, months, and years
ahead.
"Today, with
the loss of Jeffery Kyle Lake, we have lost a husband, a dad, a
son, a brother, a son-in-law, a brother-in-law, a cousin, a uncle, a nephew, a
pastor....a friend.
"I met Kyle my first year at
Baylor, 1991, and we became instant friends. Kyle and I were more than college
buddies and best friends. Kyle was a reference point in my life. He inspired me
to love God more. He was a kindred spirit. He was my soul
mate!
"My relationship to
Kyle felt very similar to the way that Jonathon felt about David. I Samuel 18 says, 'After David had finished
talking with Saul, the soul of Jonathon was knit to the soul of David, and
Jonathan loved David as himself......And Jonathan made a covenant with
David because he loved him as himself. Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing
and gave it to David, with his armor, and even his sword and his bow and
his belt.'
"That is the way I felt
about Kyle.
"In 1997, sitting in a
chapel in Van, Texas at Kyle's cousins wedding, Kyle leans over during the
service and says to me (with a huge smile on his face), 'Hey, I am
in love with your sister, and I am going to marry her'. You can
imagine my excitement and my terror!! No, I was so excited!! Kyle had already
meant so much to me and now he was truly about to become my brother. I could not
have asked for a better husband to my sister and a better dad to their
children!
"Many of us worship the
ground he walked on. Each of you are here because your life has
been touched either directly or indirectly by Kyle. He was a prince to so
many of us! David Lake (Kyle's Dad) told me earlier today that, November
1st, is All Saints Day....which seems so fitting because Kyle, for
many of us, was a Saint.
"You may have been touched
by his contagious smile. You may have moved by his love for God and his heart
for reaching people. You may have been touched by his devotion to his family.
You may have been touched by his vibrant spirit that was so full of life. You
may have been touched by his ability to live in the present and embrace
every moment with such love and enthusiasm. You may have been touched by his
humor.
"Kyle loved to be
playful.....
"In 1996, I went on a
blind date down in Houston, Texas. Even though I was hopeful that the date
would go well, there was no real connection there for me. To be
honest, I did not have any interest in going on a second date. During the
date, she mentioned that she was going to be at the Metro Bible study that
following Monday. Coincidently, I had already made plans to go with
Kyle to Metro and expressed that we may see her
there. Prior to Metro,
Kyle came in town and we went out to dinner. I let him know at dinner that
we may run into the girl that I
went out with Friday night. I also let him know (with a bit of intensity
and anxiety) that I was not interested, and to lay low if we
saw her. Of course, immediately upon arriving at Metro, she approached us
and in Kyle fashion, he says,
'It is so great to meet you!
Scott has told me SO much about you!! In fact, at dinner he was going on and on about you and
how much fun he had the other night!!!' The girls face lit up with a big smile. My mouth dropped.
For the next 90 minutes,
during Metro, I've got this girl on one side, gazing into my eyes
with a big smile on her face and Kyle on the other with a mischievous grin on his face, rubbing his hands
together as if he'd just gotten away with the world's greatest
crime.
"I am certain
that each of you have stories about Kyle, that are filled with
laughter and Kyle's childlike playfulness.
"Kyle and his legacy will
continue to live on in sermons that we have recorded, the books he wrote, the
church he pastored......and in the life of his children, his wife, his
family.....as well as in our memories, our thoughts, and our hearts.
"Kyle, we will always love
you."
The funeral service in its
entirety is on the UBC website.