Ode to Kent Brown

Just a brief remembrance of Kent Brown.

Kent would always pass you in the church with a blinding smile and quick hi and how are you doing. Beggs and Kent shared the birth of their three first children with us. We had birthday parties together and pictures of children on Christmas cards together. Little did I know that Beggs and Kent were going to by-pass us and add three more kids and after we stopped.

One Sunday probably 20 years ago, Frank was becoming a deacon and we were sitting down front. Well, a strange man, who was talking loudly and in-coherently carrying a book came down the center aisle toward Jim Petty who was preaching about deacons. Earl Campbell, Dit Wright and Kent Brown were the ones who recognized that this man was not in his right mind and escorted him from the auditorium. Kent probably did it with his blinding smile.

It is really difficult to lose a wonderful Christian man. The over-flowing chapel yesterday with the Spirit filled singing was a tribute to Kent and his family. I sat among some young college age girls who wept because I believe they were picturing for the first time that God even takes young healthy fathers that shouldn't go so soon.

I'm praying today as I did all last week for Beggs to give her strength. As the pictures showed, she and Kent have been together since they were very young. Bless Kent's family.

Kent is up in heaven, too early, building a mansion for all of us with a blinding smile.