Brent Proctor 1963 – 2008

Brent Proctor was a liver of life and a lover of people! He went home to the presence of his Lord, Jesus Christ, a few days ago at the age of 44, leaving behind a lovely wife, two handsome twelve year old twin boys, a loving family, and a very large host of friends. There were hundreds of people at the visitation last night, and I’m sure there will be hundreds at the funeral today.

He was a skilled craftsman, businessman, leader of the family company, and active in the kingdom. He was admired in all the above capacities. But what made Brent so special to so many? It’s a bit mysterious, really. But it is bound up in his simple approach to life and living, how he loved his Lord, and how he loved people.

Two verses of Scripture come quickly to mind. “Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.” (Genesis 5:24) And “... what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8)

Today is a day of mourning, more for us than for Brent, for we will miss him! More of a day to remember and honor a “life well lived.” A day to meditate on his journey and our journeys with his wonderful and mysterious God who rules over all. A day to laugh and cry, remembering Brent’s big smile, big hugs and humorous ways. To comfort his precious family. To enjoy our God’s calming and peaceful Spirit. To be quiet.

“The righteous perish, and no one ponders it in his heart; devout men are taken away, and no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil.” (Isaiah 57:1)

“Near the Goal”

In a race it is not the start that hurts, not the even pace of the long stretch. It is when the goal is in sight that heart and nerves and courage and muscles are strained almost beyond human endurance, almost to breaking point.

So with you now the goal is in sight, you need your final cry to Me. Can you not see by the nerve and heart rack of the past few days that your race is nearly run. Courage, courage. Heed My voice of encouragement. Remember that I am by your side, spurring you on to victory.

In the annals of heaven, the saddest records are those that tell of the many who ran well, with brave stout hearts, until in sight of the goal, of victory, and then their courage failed. The whole host of heaven longed to cry out how near the end was, to implore the last spurt, but they fell out, never to know until the last day of revealing, how near they were to victory.

Would that they had listened to Me in the silence as you two meet with Me. They would have known. There must be the listening ear, as well as the still small voice."

God Calling (A.J. Russell, ed.)February 13, 2008

“Victory belongs to the most persevering.” Napoleon Bonaparte

“Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” Thomas A. Edison

"Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith." (Galatians 6:9-10)