Our Father's heart

“God is our refuge and strength,

An ever-present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way

And the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

Though its waters roar and foam

And the mountains quake with their surging.”

Psalms 46:1-3

We smiled as he poked fun at we Alabamians and the way we launch into hysterics at the slightest possibility of snow.

“We have to go buy food because we might be forced off the roads for as many as five, maybe even six hours,” he explained.

We laughed when he told tales of the antics of he and his five children.

And yes, we couldn’t help but grin at his “famous” adage, “Never have a pet that can take you.”

Saturday, January 19, 2008, I sat toward the back of a stadium-style auditorium, and listened to the words of Rick Burgess.

We laughed, sure, but more than that, hearts were stirred that night. Rick spoke of his relationship with Jesus Christ, and he spoke with the conviction of a man affirmed. He spoke with the assurance of a man that knows that his life is no longer his own.

Rick spoke. We listened. God moved.

And, as Rick later explained, his cell phone was vibrating within the confines of his pocket. Over and over and over, the phone rang with persistence.

But still Rick spoke, and still we listened, and still God moved.

That night, as Rick would discover backstage and as we would hear at the next morning’s service, his little boy, Bronner “Cornbread” Burgess, fell into the family pool and drowned.

An innocent life—gone, wiped out in the space of the slenderest of moments.

Tragic. Impossible to imagine. Unfair.

There Rick was, away from home, giving of himself and his heart in the name of Jesus Christ, and tragedy struck. It would have been so easy for the Burgess family to fall apart, reject the name of God and stand frozen with fear forever.

But that was not to be. Instead, with a broken heart and spirit, Rick, his family and the radio show “Rick and Bubba” sought to glorify God with their story.

Please visit these links to see for yourself. Rick delivered his son's eulogy, and below you can view it in three parts.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3



And remember, that as incredible as the life and testimony of the Burgess family is, it is not because of them that they are able to go on. It is not because of any unique strength or ability that this family has-- it is, quite simply, because they carry the love of Christ in their hearts. Do you know Him? And if you do, are you clinging to Him in this moment?


I'm not, not the way I need to be or long to be, but in this moment, I am seeking His face.