I just finished reading the book Bronner by Sherri Burgess, and I am speechless. This book wrung my heart dry and filled it back up again. Sherri Burgess is the wife of Rick Burgess of The Rick and Bubba Show, a nationally syndicated talk radio show. The book tells the story of God's healing power after the tragic drowning death of her two year old son. At first look, this book may seem like to difficult of a subject to tackle. You may be hesitant to even add this to you Goodreads list. But let me tell you: JUST DO IT. You simply must read this book. I, myself, have lost a daughter... she passed away just before I gave birth 6 years ago. So the pain of losing a child is very real in my life, but like Sherri, I know that God never leaves us alone in our sufferings. I was interested to hear the ways in which God comforted her and the priceless lessons he taught Sherri and her family along the way.

In my own personal story of loss, there are numerous ways in which God simply lavished his goodness on us. Not because we deserved it but simply because it is who he is. Sherri's story holds the same truths. I loved reading of the beautiful ways God gently reminded her that he is still sovereign and that she need not grieve in despair. So much of this book contained "aha" moments for me, and I wanted to share one part of her story in particular that has literally changed the way I view my world.

After hearing of a pastor who also lost his son in a drowning accident, Sherri was struggling with the question of "Why." Here is what she wrote:

"Why the children? Why, God? Why would you take the children? Why this pastor's son when he had given his life in service to You? Why me who loved Bronner and wanted him? I wanted him! There is nothing worse than losing a child! Nothing! I know You lost Your Son, but You got Him back after three days! Three days!" 

And I felt a gentle stirring in my spirit. "But what about the others? They're all Mine. You're going to get a glorious reunion with your son, but I won't get that with all of Mine."

Wow. Talk about powerful. God allowed her son (and my daughter) to die so that through their death, one of God's other children might hear of his goodness and believe in Him. What a powerful testimony. For me, coming to this knowledge was worth reading the whole book. And here's the thing about Bronner: the book and Sherri's story is full of moments like this. Even if you have never lost a child, I know we have all faced suffering of some kind. If you have ever wondered "Why me, God?" or "Why her?" then this book is for you. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Is it difficult to read? At times, yes. I am not ashamed to say I cried while reading much of it. But is it worth it? Absolutely. There are nuggets of golden wisdom lying in this story, just waiting to be picked up by you and applied to your life.

In addition to the many "aha" moments Sherri's story brought about, her writing is chock full of scripture. It flowed seamlessly throughout her story, making this a book I will be sure to keep on hand for when I face future struggles and want to have some good scripture. This is a great book, which you can purchase here: Bronner. Also, I just saw on Amazon this is the #1 New Release in its category!!


Can God use pain and suffering in our lives to teach and refine us? Journey with Sherri Burgess in her new book, Bronner, to discover the purpose behind pain through the powerful story of her son Bronner’s earthly death. An empowering resource for book-club discussion or small-group Bible study, this is much more than simply a retelling of an inspiring story. It is a call to action beckoning us to know our Holy God like never before.

Join Sherri in celebrating the release of her new book, Bronner, with a blog tour and a Kindle Fire giveaway!

One grand prize winner will receive:

• A copy of Bronner
• A Kindle Fire HD 6

Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry! The giveaway ends on February 12th. The winner will be announced February 15th on the Litfuse blog.