Characters to Emulate in Keeping Kyla

I had a lot of fun creating the characters in Keeping Kyla. They almost became real people to me! Here are some their characteristics to emulate.

Kendall Lee

Though Kendall was not the main character in Keeping Kyla, his influence cannot be underestimated. First, he took the responsibility to raise his deceased wife’s emotionally wounded daughter as his very own, which was undoubtedly a challenge. At great cost to himself, he did his best to protect her, provide for her, nurture her, and model how to follow Christ. Most importantly, he faithfully prayed for her and petitioned God for her soul. Second, Kendall invested himself in the spiritual mentoring of other men—namely Peter Watkins in this story. It takes time, energy, and heart to sow into another person.

The takeaway:

1. Fulfill your responsibility as a parent to the best of your ability, even (especially!) if your kids are having a tough time of it, regardless of their age. And be faithful in prayer. I’ll say it again—be faithful in prayer!

2. Give your life away to help others grow spiritually. Your sacrifices will seem small some day when you reap a spiritual harvest and receive eternal rewards.

Peter Watkins

Peter Watkins was nice. But he was a lot more than nice—he took risks to share the gospel with others! Peter made Jesus the passion of his life and was proactive in sharing his faith. At first most of his efforts were met with eye rolls or scorn, but eventually they made a difference. Peter was also others-minded, someone who looked out for people, a ‘protector.’ And in a crisis, Peter turned to prayer.

The takeaway:

1. Be nice, but be courageous, too! Step out and share Jesus with others. It’s the truly loving thing! You never know how God may be working in someone’s life or how close they may be to making a decision for Christ!

2. Be mindful of others. Look out for people.

3. In a crisis? Pray!

Susan Gordon

Mrs. Gordon was not a super-spiritual person with an impressive title. She was simply a kind-hearted housekeeper who excelled in listening and understanding. She had a gentle way of communicating truth that was never pushy. Her manner made Kyla willing to open up to her and listen to what she had to say because Kyla felt safe with her.

The takeaway?

1. Initiate! You have to find your Mrs. Gordon. If Mrs. Gordon had pursued Kyla, it would have made her pushy! Mentors love people who pursue them, people who want to hang out with them and learn. It’s awkward when a mentor feels all the expectations are on their side. How do they tell someone how to improve their life when they aren’t sure the person really wants to grow? It will take effort on your part to pursue a relationship with someone. Then keep in mind that a mentoring relationship take time to develop.

2. Respond! Be Mrs. Gordon to someone. Be a safe person who is willing to listen. Be someone who is understanding. Be someone who communicates truth in a kind way. Step out and take a risk to walk with someone through their struggles. Help point them to Jesus!

Kyla DeKane

Although at the beginning of the story Kyla acknowledged that God existed, she didn’t see that he had any bearing on her life. She was emotionally wounded, confused, distressed, and more than a little headstrong. Yet later in the story, a couple of risks changed the course of her life. First, Kyla made a decision to pursue Mrs. Gordon. It started simply, but as she did and discovered that she was ‘safe,’ she began to open herself up to a woman that was older and more mature than her. But it didn’t happen without effort! She had to intentionally reach out to Mrs. Gordon—on more than one occasion, even! Eventually she took to heart what Mrs. Gordon said.

Kyla also took the risk to listen to Peter share about Christ. Though externally feisty, she heard what he was saying. It just took her some time to break through in order to choose Christ.

The takeaway:

1. Find someone who is safe and more spiritually mature than you to open up your life to, even if it takes some time to make it happen. Make sure that person truly loves Jesus! Be patient, and don’t put too high of expectations on them. Share your life. Ask questions. Then be teachable and learn from them.

2. Pursue matters of forgiveness in your life—even if it’s hard. Do it!

3. Identify lies of the devil that keep you from God or create stumbling blocks in your life. Deal with them!

Who was your favorite character? Let me hear from you!

Photo Credit: Joan Crombie