Love Boldly, Shine Brightly & Sing Loudly

He was a DJ for ten years at Q104 in Kansas City. He was tall with a dark gray suit, white shirt and blue tie. I don’t know much about suits, but it looked like a nice one, not the kind my husband would find in his closet.

He had a professional air about him and spoke quietly about the impact of my nephew.

If you knew him, he said, there would be no words to describe him. He loved country music; he loved people, and He loved Jesus!!! If your shift began at 7 and you saw a light flashing indicating that you had a phone call, you knew it was Ken. He would wish you a good day then say, he had to run as he had other calls to make to other stations!

He wore his heart on his sleeve and would do anything to help if you needed it. Once you met Ken you were friends for life. He gave cards on birthdays, Valentine’s Day, Easter and Christmas and often sent roses or flowers for special occasions. He did this for friends at church, for his family and his many friends who were DJs on country stations. He loved Jesus. He loved music, and he loved his church and family.

To know Ken was to feel loved.

One by one, I listened as others shared their memories. Stories I had never heard.

One of my favorites is how he started a “band” but kicked out a family friend after their first performance.  Steven said, he just wasn’t serious enough, so Ken decided to go solo. Ha!!! Now mind you, Ken wasn’t the best singer or fiddler in the world, but he sang with heart!!! He was so loved by the DJ’s that they arranged for him to introduce country singers at their performances. They said, he took to the stage like a rock star!! Ha!!! They even provided opportunity for him to sing with a well-known country band playing in the background. At his memorial service they played this recording!!!

He sang of being a light and sang of his love for Jesus!! There was not a dry eye in the audience.

Death reminds us that our time is short. It reminds us of what is important. For some reason the things that so easily distract us don’t seem important anymore. Looking back, we see God’s fingerprints in unlikely places.  We are reminded that there is no place we can go where God is not there!! We see Him loving people through simple acts; like making phone calls and giving cards, and we see Him making a path for dreams to come true.

This is the Jesus that Ken loved.

Although Ken has left this world too soon and left a void that no one else can fill, he is resting in his Creator and Savior, Jesus Christ. He has gone ahead of us and one day, we will join him!!!  

Until then let’s love boldly, shine brightly and sing loudly!!

Oh my, I have to tell you one more story. If the DJs had an extra “meet and greet” pass, they would often invite Ken to the show. Below is a photo of him with one of his favorite performers. His pastor said, whenever her name was spoken, he loved to lean in and quietly say, “we’ve met.”

Ha!!! God is good and loves to give good gifts to His children.