I met Billy and Ruth about fifteen years ago, when I began to date their granddaughter Jerushah, who is their eldest daughter, Gigi’s, youngest daughter. I was extremely nervous to meet them. What should I say, or not say? I wondered. What should I wear? Should I hug them, shake their hands, bow down in humble submission? I sincerely considered all of these options and more. This was the greatest evangelist the world had ever seen. Will his face shine like Moses? I thought to myself.
Upon meeting them, I realized that the revered Billy Graham and the radiant woman Ruth, who stood behind him while he so consistently and faithfully declared, “Come just as you are, come and receive Jesus …” seemed to be extending the same invitation to me. They treated me as one of their own from “hello.” They were simple, kind, loving, and very thoughtful grandparents of the girl who captured my heart. What mattered to them was my heart, not my clothes or my carefully constructed words. From that day forward, I have learned more about God, life, and love from Billy and Ruth than from anyone or any book.
Daddy Bill has shown me humility like I never dreamed or imagined. It’s as if he has never tried to be humble. He is not a product of “three steps to humility” or a well-practiced line of, “Oh, praise God, it was Him and not me.” He sincerely does not seem to understand why someone would thank him, the messenger. He becomes uncomfortable when I share the compliments, love, and admiration for him of people I have spoken with. He has appeared confused and several times has responded, “Why would they want to thank me?” I have learned not to ask, “Are you serious?” anymore; he really does mean it.
It’s as if he really knows and experiences God doing the work through him and understands that the tool doesn’t have a place to boast while he is in the Maker’s hand.
He has taught me that Jesus is the most important truth I will ever learn and proclaim. He has never swayed from that challenge—every time I sit and talk with him about ministry. Each time I see him, he says, “Hello, Chris, how is the church?” I respond with details that I am excited about, and he responds every time, no matter what, “It is all about the Gospel and Jesus.” He is right, and he doesn’t allow details, numbers, or program ideas to stand beside the place of Jesus, and he never lets me allow it either. Jesus is always the most important part of our conversation.
Lastly, and maybe equally important, he has taught me how to cherish my bride. He hasn’t given me advice, like he has with preaching, writing, or leadership. Those spoken insights are things I have appreciated immensely. His love for Ruth has clearly been on display each time I have seen them together, heard him speak of her, and have watched and listened to him miss her when they are apart. His longing for Jesus seems to be closely rivaled only by his love for Ruth. What a beautiful picture he has given me of what it means to love one woman all of our days here. Watching him love Ruth has taught me how to love Jerushah.
He has given me the best picture I have ever seen of what it looks like to love God and love others. Thank You, Jesus, for teaching me to love You and love others through the life and love of Billy and Ruth Graham. Thank you, Daddy Bill.
Chris Armfield
Thank You, Billy Graham … for the Time I Met You in Person
THE DAY I MET BILLY GRAHAM
In 1987, I was in my first year serving as youth pastor at Calvary Baptist Church, in Burbank, California. This was an interesting position, because at the time, Calvary Baptist was a church without any youth. So, our “youth group” was made up of non-churched teens from the neighborhoods, none of whom had yet professed Christ.
I received a call from a woman at Billy Graham’s World Wide Pictures, telling me about an advance screening for their new movie, Caught. They were holding the screening at Universal Studios, and she wanted to know if I would bring my youth group to the screening. She told me they especially wanted the reactions of non-Christians to the movie, and she asked me to encourage my Christian youth to invite their non-Christian friends. I told her I didn’t actually have any Christians in my youth group, but I would ask them to invite their friends anyway.
The night of the screening was a hoot. My friend Martin and I brought eight teen boys from the neighborhood to the screening. Other church youth groups were arriving by bus, dressed nicely for the occasion, walking quietly and politely in groups to the theater. Our guys were all over the place. They were loud and obnoxious, dressed for the street, running pell-mell here and there, excitedly checking out the grounds of Universal Studios after hours. We stuck out like sore thumbs in an elegant hand gallery.
After we finally gathered them all (and got them to put out their cigarettes), we made our way into the screening theater. It was a first-class theater, with high-backed chairs that reclined all the way back. Our guys naturally pushed their way to the front of the theater where they proudly sat down front and center in full view of everybody. One of them asked me where there was a water fountain. Instead of releasing him now that we finally had them all together and sitting, I told him I would check. I walked up to a man in the back of the theater who looked official to ask him about the water fountain. He turned out to be Bill Brown, the president of World Wide Pictures at the time.
He asked me my name and said, “I have someone I would like you to meet.” Then he tapped the shoulder of a man who was standing with his back toward us and said, “Billy, I would like you to meet Ray.”
“Billy” turned around, and sure enough, it was Billy Graham. I had no idea he was even going to be there that night and was caught totally off guard. I think I managed to squeak out something brilliant like, “Hello. Nice to meet you. I’ve heard you speak.”
Billy shook my hand, smiled at me, and with a twinkle in his eye, nodded toward the front of the theater. “Are those your boys?”
I looked to the front of the theater where Martin was doing his best to contain eight overly exuberant boys, who were rocking all the way back and up again in their high-backed reclining chairs as fast as they could go. They looked like eight alternating levers in some wildly gyrating machine. I said, “Excuse me,” and raced back to the front of the theater where we finally got the boys calmed down in time for the movie.
So that was the one and only time I got to meet Billy Graham in person. I got the impression he was glad that I had brought my wild “youth group” to the screening, and when he came up front after the movie to talk, he smiled at the whole lot of them. Of course, they were completely freaked out to see this man they had only seen on TV suddenly standing in front of them talking about Christ. All in all, it was a great night, and definitely one for the youth pastor books.
FROM A MONTREAT STUDENT
I was a student at Montreat-Anderson College in the early 1980s. I have such fond memories of Billy Graham showing up at Montreat Church every now and then and leading a prayer or just being a part of the congregation. One time my friend’s parents had driven over from Arden to go to church with her at Montreat, and Billy Graham happened to be sitting near them in the congregation. They were amazed that Dr. Graham greeted them like he was any other worshipper. His humility is a credit to our Savior’s name.
I also remember Ruth Graham coming over to do a Bible study with us in the lobby of the girl’s dormitory. I remember going to the Billy Graham Association for a movie occasionally, too. The Grahams were hospitable to us students. Thanks for being authentic in your faith!
INSPIRATION TO YOUNG PASTORS … IN 1951
In 1951, my husband, Rev. Eddie King, and I were serving Asheville St. Baptist Church in Morganton, North Carolina. In April of that year, a simultaneous crusade was held in area churches. Two young men, Jim Blackwell and J. W. Magee, who had surrendered to the preaching ministry under our ministry in Mississippi, came to preach. One day, we toured points of interest in the mountains. We came near Montreat and pointed out your home. Someone suggested that we stop by to see if you were home. We did and you were. You graciously received us for a brief visit. As we have watched God work in your life, that
visit has been a lifelong inspiration to us all. We returned to Morganton to see God work through these two young preachers to bring many to Christ. The crusade scheduled for one week lasted three weeks instead. All three of these pastors served the Lord faithfully for many years. I share your grief in the parting of your dear wife, Ruth, as I am learning to live without my Eddie, who went to be with the Lord in March 2006. Thank you for your hospitality, friendship, love, and concern for those you have met on this wonderful journey with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
HOW BGEA AFFECTED US
I want to thank you for your ministry and how you touched our lives. During the 1960s, when Wayne and I were in our late teen years, we were both chosen to work for you in the outgoing mail department, where we mailed 3.5 million Decision magazines a month. I worked as a secretary to the men who ran the department. To make a long story short, Wayne and I met and worked together at BGEA in Minneapolis, dated, and later married.
During the time we worked at BGEA, we had some wonderful times, which made for great memories—like the Christmas parties where George Beverly Shea would come and sing! Another time was a Sunday afternoon when BGEA put on an afternoon tea for employees, and you were there.
I had a wonderful time sitting and talking with you as I would with a member of my family. This impressed my dad very much, as he was born the same year you were, and he would always say, “Billy and I are turning forty, fifty, sixty, etc.” This is a great memory, as my dad went home to be with the Lord two years ago this month.
I just want to thank you for your ministry where Wayne and I met and married thirty-seven years ago. The work I did at BGEA prepared me for other jobs I have had since.
TAYLOR’S MIRACLE
My story starts back when my husband, Tim, and I were trying to have a child. We had infertility problems and struggled for eight years until God blessed us with a baby boy. When our son, Taylor, was born, he had medical problems. His esophagus was not connected to his stomach. If he ate or drank anything, it could aspirate into his lungs. We were sent to Minneapolis Children’s Hospital, where he was to undergo surgery. My husband and I were so afraid, and we kept asking God why it would take us eight years to have a child and then for something to be so wrong.
Taylor underwent surgery and things were going well. Then, one morning, he got a blood clot in his kidney from having his catheter in too long. His body started to shut down and we were not sure whether he would make it. I remember crying out to God and asking, “Why?” We were at the hospital every waking moment. The nurses and a social worker told us we really needed to get out of the hospital for a break. We decided to go for a walk around Lake Calhoun. We were walking and talking and not really noticing anyone that we were passing. Then Billy Graham walked by. He was incognito in a Twins baseball hat, but as soon as we passed him, my husband and I looked at each other and said, “That was Billy Graham.” It was as if God spoke to us at the same time, telling us it was him.
We turned around and ran excitedly toward Billy’s bodyguard. We asked him if we could meet Billy. He said it would be okay, and we approached Billy. He was such a gentleman. He took his hat off and greeted us. We shared with Billy about seeing him at a crusade in Fargo, North Dakota. We thanked him for his awesome work for the Lord, and we shared with him about our son. He wrote a get-well-soon note to Taylor and signed it. He gave us each a hug and we said our good-byes.
After that point, it was as if things turned around for Taylor. The really neat thing is that, the day before this, Tim had said that if there was anyone he could meet before he died, he wanted to meet Billy Graham. God works in mysterious ways. Tim got his wish. We both felt such peace after talking with Billy. We went back to the hospital and shared with everyone. We said to the nurses and family members, “I’ll bet you can’t guess who we just met.” They all guessed Kirby Puckett. We said, “No, think bigger than that.” When we told them it was Billy Graham, they couldn’t believe it.
We have shared this story for the past fourteen years, and it still touches people in such a way. Everyone has such respect and awe for Billy Graham. Our son is doing very well—you would never guess he ever had anything wrong with him. God restored his health. God gave us hope by sending Billy Graham across our path on a sunny day in August 1993. Billy was on the cover of Time magazine in November 1993. We have that magazine framed with the note he wrote to Taylor hanging on his bedroom wall as a constant reminder of how God works in wonderful and mysterious ways.
Tim, Gwen, and Taylor
I MET BILLY GRAHAM
I am so grateful to God for the opportunity to meet the Reverend Billy Graham in person. I had just completed nursing school, was a wife and mother of two, and had a brand-new job at Mercy Hospital in San Diego. My friend and I were on a lunch break from our orientation training and were just coming out of the elevators when … there he was! No posse or security guards with him, just one gentleman and Rev. Graham with a walking cane. I was so overjoyed I extended my hand, took his in a firm handshake, and asked, “What are you doing in San Diego?” as if it were any of my business. He so gently and kindly answered that he was visiting a friend.
I’ve always thought about what an incredible encounter I had that day with Rev. Graham. He was always such a huge influence on my life growing up. I grew up in El Paso, Texas, in a Spanish-speaking household, yet that didn’t stop my grandmother or my mother from watching Billy Graham and the crusades on TV. I think the song “Just As I Am” will forever be engrained in me. I remember many times crying for joy just seeing all those people come forward to accept Christ as their Lord and Savior!
Since then, with God’s help, I’ve followed wherever He has sent me. I now live in Tucson, Arizona, and am a member of a church with an incredible passion for mission work reaching the lost in the 10/40 window. This summer, I will be leading a team of doctors and nurses to Thailand. My first time leading, but my third time on a mission trip. God has absolutely revolutionized my life since I stepped out of my comfort zone and followed His lead in sharing His heart with His creation.
To think that what I have experienced these last three years is what Rev. Graham has experienced for his entire ministry career. Walking hand in hand with God! What an honor and a privilege. Thank you, Rev. Graham, for allowing yourself to be used by God to impact millions, including me. Thank you for taking the time to shake my hand and say hello. I rejoice knowing we will someday be in heaven, talking about all the Father did, is doing, and will continue to do!
Mary
MY ENCOUNTER WITH BILLY
I’m sure Billy Graham doesn’t remember my encounter with him, but it was one of the most special moments of my life, and I will never forget it. No words were spoken between us, but the memory of his simple kindness can still today move me to tears.
I grew up watching the crusades on television. My favorite part of the telecast was the invitation to accept Jesus. When the choir began to sing “Just As I Am,” something would leap in my spirit. Though I was a little girl at the time, I know now that it was the Holy Spirit prompting my heart.
As I grew up, I rebelled and turned away from God, but whenever I was surfing the television channels and one of the Billy Graham crusades was showing, I could not turn the station; I had to watch.
In 1988, when Billy Graham came to Rochester, New York, I had out-of-town company and was not able to attend the crusade. But God did a marvelous thing. My guests and I decided to go to Red Lobster for dinner. As we were going in, my one-year-old daughter fell in the entrance of the restaurant. A tall, distinguished gentleman bent down, stood her up, placed his hand on top of her head, and smiled at me. It was Billy Graham! I was speechless, and even today could kick myself for not talking to him and telling him how much it meant to me to just see him. His simple, yet eloquent message that Jesus died for my sins and loved me and wanted to save me from hell did not fall on deaf ears.
I often tell my daughter, who is now twenty-one years old, that sh
e is blessed because she was touched by Billy Graham. She says, “Mom, how many times are you going to tell that story?” I tell her, “I’ll tell it until Jesus comes and I see him face-to-face, and then I’m going to find Billy and ask him all the things I was too awestruck to ask the first time I saw him.”
PAYBACK
My father was an educational pioneer in the Southern Baptist Convention. We spent many summers at Ridgecrest, as a family, while he led conferences. During the summer of 1963, my father was invited to Montreat to visit with Dr. Graham (and my mother and I could meet him). My father declined the invitation because he had a conference to lead. As a ten-year-old, I was quite upset with my father. A year later, Dr. Graham spoke at the Southern Baptist Convention in Atlantic City, and we were there. After Dr. Graham’s speech, my father took me to the front to meet him. My father told him that it was payback for missing dinner the year before. We all had a laugh over it. Growing up in our household, I knew many of the giants of the faith. They were my father’s friends, and they knew me by my first name. Dr. Graham was very gracious and humble. I thank God that our paths crossed.
AMID GREATNESS
I have been inspired by Billy Graham for many years. I first heard him preach on television in the late 1980s when I was living in North Carolina. I was a military wife living far away from family and felt very alone. Listening to Billy preach reassured me that all is well and that there was a specific plan for my life. I rarely missed a televised crusade.
I later moved to Florida, where I attended the Tampa Bay crusade in the late 1990s. It was held in the brand-new football stadium. Not only was every seat in the house filled but there was an overflow into the parking lot where the faithful watched it on a big screen.
Thank You, Billy Graham Page 5