Walter Payton took a seat on a pew in Destiny Church in Hoffman Estates on July 25.He hadn't been seen in public since April when he threw out the first pitch at a Chicago Cubs game.
And even though he was wincing from pain, he told his pastor and his wife he wanted to be there. It was his 45th birthday and his oldest child, Jarrett, was being baptized.
Payton was feeling so much discomfort that he stayed only 15 minutes - long enough to see 18-year-old Jarrett rise from the water and to congratulate him on the spiritual milestone.
Baptized as a child, Payton was not public about his Christianity like other more outward believers of Jesus Christ.
Yet, it was his faith in God that helped sustain him during the last year of his life, said Payton's pastor, Keith Russell Lee of Destiny.
"I believe that he understood that God had a purpose for his life and I believe that this illness really brought that home even more," Lee said.
Lee, an Algonquin resident, will give a 10-minute memorial at Payton's private funeral services Friday. A longtime family friend, a pastor from Maywood, who Payton affectionately referred to as 'dad' will give the eulogy.
While the Maywood pastor helped Payton through the phase of accepting his illness, Lee was Payton's spiritual coach, quoting scripture and reading the Bible with him, particularly during his last days.
He was in contact with the family every week either by phone or in person.
"There were some times when Walter was ill and he was in pain. He was in a lot of pain," Lee said.
One time Payton was so weak he was leaning over the island in the kitchen as Lee read from the Bible.
"There were some days when it was very difficult for him to do anything," Lee said. "He could get around, but it was just a burden. It was really hard, physically, on him."
"We had a motto, myself and (his wife) Connie," Lee said. "Our motto was 'We walk by faith and not by sight.'æ"
It was those words that kept Payton focused on living.
Even on Friday when Payton was in and out of consciousness, issues of mortality never were discussed.
"We were understanding that God had a purpose for his life and we focused on purpose and we were believing that somehow with this illness, and hopefully overcoming this illness, he would be used as a platform to reach people for the cause of Christ," Lee said.
And on Sunday, the eve of Payton's death, Lee said the former Chicago Bears running back still was holding on.
"We knew what the prognosis was," Lee said, adding they still were steadfast in prayer.
He held Payton's hand as he read Bible verses that discussed strength, God's love and unconditional faith.
Among those gathered nearby were Payton's mother Alyne, his sister Pam, wife Connie and close friends Kevin Kelly, a football coach at St. Viator High School in Arlington Heights and former Chicago Bear teammate Matt Suhey.
For Lee, the experience was somewhat surreal since Payton had been his childhood hero.
Lee was in eighth grade when Payton joined the Chicago Bears in 1975. He recalls fighting with his buddies over who was going to be "Number 34" when they played football.
The football great and the young pastor's paths first crossed when Lee was in high school. He attended the Chicago Auto Show where Payton often was a regular.
Lee got his hero's autograph.
It would be eight years after Payton's career ended that they would build a friendship.
Payton and his family joined Destiny three years ago, just one year after the interdenominational congregation was founded.
"There would be no Destiny Church if there were not for individuals like Walter and others who really supported me," Lee said. "... And I'm not talking about finance, I'm talking about commitment in support to me as a young pastor in a town."
"(Payton's) done a lot for this ministry," said Lee, pausing a moment to regain his composure.
"It was very difficult in my first year of ministry here. ... A lot of things just weren't going right, so much so that I felt like throwing in the towel.
"And it was Walter who said, 'Hey listen, this ministry is needed in this community.'æ
"He told me, 'Pastor Keith, you are going to do far greater things than I've done.'æ"
Lee's only regret is that his church, which holds 350 people, is not large enough to hold the crowds who will be in attendance Friday at Payton's funeral. The services will be held at South Barrington's Life Changers Church.
"He was a childhood hero of mine and I was very privileged to be his pastor," Lee said. "But yet what I saw in him, particularly during the last few months of his life, endeared him more to me than anything he did on the football field."
