Funeral - Kimberly Williams Kittle

Who is Kimberley Williams Kittle?

(Chris, Maria, and Wes)

We are here today to celebrate the life of Kimberley Kittle. Each of you are here because Kimberley impacted your life at some time and in some way.

Kimberley is daughter, a wife, a friend, maybe she was your hairstylist or cared for your dogs!

However you were connected to Kimberley you know that she was a selfless person.

As a daughter she was the light of her parents eye.

She and her father would serve the homeless together on Christmas, and even served with our Monday Night Mission here at FBC.

As a wife, she and Wes have been married for 5years, but together for 9.

They have three dogs that they loved like children.

Wes told me he and Kimberley loved going on adventures together. Camping, hiking, and spending time at Lake Jocassee We’re some of their favorite things.

They were close to many adventures in their new Greenville home.

As a friend, and I was told she had many friends, around 700 people responded with their love and support when they heard of Kimberley’s death, it’s evident she was loved and a joy to be around.

These qualities and memories about Kimberley will be missed. But those memorable moments will help as your think of her in the days, weeks, months, and years ahead.

These qualities are part of who Kimberley was, part of what made her special, but as good as they were, there was much more to her than these qualities,

She was created in the image of God!

Genesis 1:26 (ESV)

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.

Genesis 1:27–28 (ESV)

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

And God said it was “very good,” and then he spent time with Adam and Eve in the garden.

As image bearers Adam and Eve were to represent him in his creation.

That is who Kimberley was created to be too. An image bearer of God. Sharing his love, his kindness, his grace, even her care for dogs was a display of God’s perfect dominion over creation.

So, when we think of who Kimberley was - yes, let us remember her as a daughter, a wife, and a friend - but most importantly she was a person created in the image of a compassionate God - for his glory and the good of those who knew her best.

What does all of this mean?

When a person’s life is ended so tragically there are many questions - and rightfully so.

We can’t begin to understand all of the nuances to this tragedy, but what we do know is each day of Kimberely’s life was within the sovereign care of God.

Chris and Maria shared that around age 13 Kimberley’s spiritual eyes were opened to see her sin and a need for salvation.

Kim realized that she could not save herself, but that God had sent his son to accomplish salvation for her.

At that point her father told me she believed in Jesus as her Lord and Savior and was baptized at Sullivan’s Island Baptist Church.

Like all of us in this room, Kimberley wasn’t perfect, but she had placed her trust in the perfect Savior.

Jesus’ perfect life, his cruel death, and victorious resurrection were at that point applied to Kim’s life.

She owed a debt that she could not pay, and Jesus paid it in her place.

John 8:36 “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

This is not a conditional freedom. Meaning, we don’t have to do certain things to remain free, but because we are free we want to follow Christ.

That doesn’t mean we do it perfectly, but it means that in our imperfection we continue to look to a perfect Jesus.

When one of the family members would be struggling, Kim would tell them “you just have to have faith.”

In moments like these we have to have faith that God is the creator and owner of all things, that he is not surprised by anything, and certainly when he created Kimberley he also knew the day of her death. When he saved her, Christ death covered every sin she would ever committ!

There was not one thing that Jesus didn’t fully cover for her in Christ.

And his word declares: Romans 8:31–35 - What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?… (v.37) No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

So, what does all of this mean? It means that those who Jesus died for are more than conquerors and nothing can separate them from the love God!

How should I respond?

Family, it is okay to grieve.

Friends, it is okay to mourn.

But, in our grief and in our mourning allow it to turn you to the source of all comfort.

2 Cor. 3:1-5 - “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

This is a monumental time in each of your lives. How will you respond? I believe it would be best for you to take a moment in the coming days to recognize that through KImberly’s death God gotten your attention.

Jesus did this in the city of Galilee.

Mark 1:14-15 Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.””

“kiaros” - a time with eternal potential.

How should you respond to this moment? Turn to Christ and believe the good news that he has come to comfort, save, and give purpose to all who will believe upon him.

That is our only hope in life and in death.