Justin Key was the reason I could say "Yes!" whenever people would ask me if I actually knew anyone who was a great salsa dancer AND an amazing Christian leader. With ridiculously good looks, a huge heart, an intellectual mind, and a witty sense of humor, he was my wild card, the "perfect guy"... The "complete package"... Everything any girl could want... Oh, and did I mention that he was also a great friend?
When Surekha called me yesterday with the news of his sudden death, I flat out didn't believe her. Justin? No way, he was just here for Thanksgiving and I was supposed to go see the Nutcracker with him and his family, but I didn't... We talked on the phone and decided it was no big deal because we'll see each other over Christmas break when we'd have more time to hang out and go salsa dancing together.
Justin was the second person I met when I started dancing 3 years ago. Mike was the first, and he is the one who brought me to Century and introduced me to Justin. From then on, Justin literally watched me go from a "horrible beginner" to a "blossoming intermediate". The next time we danced, I was planning on impressing him with an "amateur advanced"... I remember texting him and begging him to come to HaLo with me on Mondays to practice... He took classes and I didn't, so I thought that by dancing with him, I would be learning the same thing he was... He assured me it wasn't the same...
I remember him paying my cover at Century when I couldn't... I remember meeting at Triple Door with our "crew"... I remember the hugs, the affection, the stories, the jokes... Haha, I remember our accidental "kiss" on the dance floor! I remember getting frustrated because I couldn't follow him, and elated when we would have smooth, flawlessly flowing dances that would leave me thinking I was finally "good"...
I remember texting him and making him promise me he would stay at Century until I got there (he liked to leave early, by 10:30pm - gosh, he was so responsible...). I remember running into him on the stairs, him having his coat on and being all ready to go, and me making him take it off so that we could have a dance before he left... I remember being invited to all his parties... and only making it to his birthday one... I remember being the only friend who could make it to one of his Toastmasters events and how happy he was to see me...
The last time I saw him, we went on a hike, got a pizza and watched Iron Man at his parent's house (they weren't there). He made me try whiskey. I spat it out. He was just getting ready to embark on his South American adventure and then grad school... I was starting to pack for Hawaii... We talked about our visions and plans, life and what we want out of it... We talked about church, God, and how much we love Him... We discussed C.S. Lewis' Till We Have Faces because both of us have borrowed it from Tembi... I remember thinking, Wow, this guy is going to make a great husband and an amazing father one day... Deep down (like many others, I'm sure) I was even entertaining the thought of being the lucky girl...
I didn't make it to his going away party... We texted, facebooked, and google chatted occasionally. When he randomly called me a month before Thanksgiving to ask me to be his "date" for The Nutcracker, I was excited over the opportunity to reconnect... When the time arrived however, we mutually decided to postpone it 'till Christmas... And now it was been postponed 'till heaven...
Yes, I'm sad, and yes, I've cried. I'm sad for his family and I'm sad for his friends, myself included... I will miss him... I regret taking him for granted, thinking that he'd always be there, that we'd have more time, more dances, more hugs, more conversations, that I would see him again...
And I know I will see him again... I know Justin was a solid man of God who loved Jesus and lived for Him... I know Justin is in heaven right now, and I know him and I will salsa dance there when we meet again :) Meanwhile, I will miss him...
Life is fragile... Life is temporary... Our time here is fleeting... I'm grateful that Justin and I, as well as a lot of our friends, know Jesus... Because of Him, we can have peace, comfort, strength and even joy during this time... I know Justin is rejoicing in heaven right now, and I am happy for him...
Meanwhile, I'm still here... Loving each person God placed in my life. Loving them recklessly and with abandon. Not taking anyone for granted... Wearing my heart on my sleeve, being vulnerable and making sure they know I love them...
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