Where do I start with Jere Burnette? Known in his younger years as a scoundrel but praised in his later years as a saint. If anyone understood the grace of Jesus Christ, it was Jere. The life he lived for a lot of years was filled with rough living and bad choices. Until he had the scare with his heart a few decades back. That’s when everything changed.

            I’ve heard the saying, “God never wastes a hurt.” And that’s exactly what God exemplified through Jere. He used his heart issues as a turning point to get his life in order. But the crazy thing with God is he doesn’t just clean up the outside, he goes for the deep, hidden stuff in our soul. He changed Jere from the inside out.

            Maybe it’s because he knew how undeserving he was. Or maybe he knew he would never be good enough. But Jere and Jesus had a tight relationship. For years he prayed fervently for our church worship gatherings. He would walk through the sanctuary, row by row, touching seats and praying. Other times he’d walk the perimeter of the church property over and over going to battle in prayer for the souls who would set foot on the soil.

The more involved I became at Fellowship Baptist, the more of Jere I saw. During the week, he spent hours fixing doors, the baptistry, and other odds and ends. Until his health declined, he was the person to call. And he always showed up with a merry heart and goofy grin. If he teased you, he loved you. And he teased and joked with everyone he met—even when he was physically struggling with his body.

These last few years have been tough on Jere and even though he didn’t let on, we knew it was hard for him. But the weaker he became in the flesh, the stronger he became in spirit. Sundays he sang with the praise team, and even when he couldn’t get on stage, he sang from his seat with his whole heart. Tears often dripped from his eyes as he sang every word directly to Jesus, the one who changed his whole life. Even until his last fight with sickness, Jere remained a worshipper and longed to be with Jesus face to face.

My favorite time around Jere was when someone asked him to pray in a group of people. He never turned the opportunity down. As he prayed, he became emotional, often fighting tears. There’s something about a man’s man who isn’t afraid to bear his heart. Every word mattered as he intentionally prayed and exposed his heart before God and men.

Was Jere perfect? Nope. And he’d be the first one to tell you that. But he knew he was loved. Forgiven. Chosen. And redeemed. And that’s the firm foundation he rested his life upon.

We’re all gonna miss you, buddy. But we also know you wouldn’t come back now if you could. I have no doubt that your embrace with Jesus was worth all the physical pain and heartache of this earth. And I know you heard those words, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”

Until we meet again, Jere, may your legacy of faith encourage us all to surrender our lives to Christ.