Randy

Psalm 116:15
Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.

Vicki was on Facebook yesterday, when she came across a posting by John Barnett about the death of Randy Rigsby. I know....that name may not jump out for most you reading this, but Randy was a special person to me.

I am not going to say I knew him well, but I do have a story to tell.
The year was 2002 and Danny Daniels was coming to play at our Saturday night meeting, The House Of Blue. I had met Danny two years before that when he was at the Anniston Vineyard for a night of worship. I had told Danny about what we were doing with our Saturday night group and he was genuinely interested in trying to set something up where he could come and be with us.
Two years go by. Lots of phone tag and schedule conflicts, finally a date is set. Danny is coming to Gadsden.

Three days before Danny's arrival, he calls me to ask if it is o.k. if a compatriot of his comes along to play. "No problem," I said. Turned out his cohort in crime was Randy. That was a very special night, as these two took the stage to play, sing and teach. I would be less than honest if I said the two of them, Danny and Randy, looked like mischief X 10. There was just this sparkle in their eyes that kind of said, "I can't believe we still get to play and sing for God!!!"

Randy really loved the room we held our meeting in. Just for the record, if you've never seen it, it looks more like a night club than a church. That evening, Randy and I swapped stories of where we had come from, and what God was doing in that season of our lives. I'm not usually very comfortable talking to others.....especially those I consider to be accomplished musicians. I tend to want to hang back and give them their space. Not pester them or try to get up under them to look like some sort of pseudo-relationship. But Randy was different. He sought me out to ask questions about our meeting. How we got started. If he said it once, he said it a million times...."We need to duplicate this! We need to have more of these type of churches." 

I guess the highlight of the evening was the very last song that Danny did. "Amazing Grace" which Randy played this incredible slow lead break on. Sustained note after note took us through the melody until he hit the last one which seem to hang in the air forever.....I know it may sound silly at this juncture in time, but when I think of that last note, I can't help but see God smiling and saying, "That's my boy!".

As Vicki read me John Barnett's posting about Randy's death, I wanted to cry, but it just didn't happen. Don't get me wrong...it's not that I didn't care, or that his death didn't affect me...it did. But for one brief instant, I was back in 2002, Randy was up on that stage playing...I could see him.......and a smile came over me.
That was who Randy Rigsby was to me.
More than one of the co-founders of Vineyard Music....
More than an incredible brother-in-Christ.....
More than a musician with more talent than most.....
That night I spent talking with Randy was a memory I will always treasure.

Prayers to the Rigsby family this morning....
Until I see you again, Randy....
I will miss you....

God on you...
mbb