Ruth Graham

I am saddened today by the news of the death of Ruth Graham, the wife of evangelist Billy Graham.

I'm certainly happy for her in that she is now released from all the physical agony and pain of the last several years, and is in the presence of Jesus and her loved ones gone before. But I can't help grieving over the void created by the loss of this faithful Christian servant.

Those who know me are aware of my deep and longstanding love and admiration for Dr. Graham. I've watched his televised crusades since I was a little kid. I've actually attended 6 or 7 of those events, and believe me, they were all thrilling. On two occasions I had the privilege of shaking his hand, and would delight even now if I had the opportunity, just for 30 minutes, to sit with him and convey what his life and ministry have meant to me. I've read his books. I always sorta wanted to be like him when I was a younger preacher. A lot of you have heard my wife's infamous "honeymoon story" that connects with Dr. Graham in that while we were in the first few days of our wedding trip, I took time out one night in the motel room to watch an hour of the 1975 Albuquerque crusade on television, much to her consternation! This evangelist's voice, personality, message, passion, and love for God and people have greatly impacted me for decades. I have tremendous respect and affection for him.

And that has always extended to his wife.

This thin, wiry lady has been a model of grace and inner beauty. The daughter of missionaries, she grew up overseas. She met Billy Graham at Wheaton College and married this man who would ultimately be perhaps the greatest preacher in history. She wrote several books. Her greatest contribution to the Kingdom, though, may have been in her willingness to stay at home in the North Carolina mountains and love and rear the couple's 5 children, freeing the renowned evangelist to travel the world for extended periods proclaiming the Gospel. How incredibly lonely it must have been for her at times. How difficult it must have been to raise all those kids, with all the normal issues and problems of childhood and adolescence, all by herself. Yet she faithfully stood behind her man, praying for him and keeping up the home in his absence.

She could be feisty. She was firm. I always felt that she exuded calm and composure and warmth and graciousness. She loved the Bible, her family, and her Lord. Her convictions were strong. Her patience surely was immense.

We can learn some lessons from Ruth Graham.

Her life's trajectory reminds us that even God's greatest servants suffer. Her fall from a tree in 1974 led to the painful, crippling osteoarthritis that eventually drove her to a wheelchair and finally to the bed. We wonder once again about fairness and all that, but the reality is that no one escapes hardship and adversity, and some end up hurting more, seemingly, than others. Those who've labored for the Master come in for their share of difficulty and testing and loss, too. Sometimes it's physical. Sometimes it's emotional. It might be relational or professional. Think of any significant godly Bible character and see if you don't find some heartache or suffering in his or her biography. Mrs. Graham sacrificed a lot for the sake of the Gospel and yet still went through immense trial in her final years. It just happens. All in God's providence, but it happens.

Certainly her journey highlights the beauty and value of marriage. Hers was destined to be a little different than the normal marital pattern, but then is there really such a thing as a normal marriage? Every couple's is unique. She expressed her abiding love by devoted service. When all is said and done, that is the pathway for any marriage to not just survive, but thrive. It goes without saying that her relationship with her husband should be a model for those of us in younger generations of faithfulness, loyalty, stick-to-itiveness, teamwork, sacrifice, and reliance on prayer. Not quitting when it gets tough. Not checking out if there's not warm, fuzzy feelings every single minute.

Mrs. Graham's willingness to serve behind the scenes says something vital to us, too. There is an exciting, glamorous, exhilirating side to the work of mass evangelism. The travel. The media attention. The energy of the crowds. She probably experienced that only rarely. Evidently she saw her role as homemaker, as protector and nurturer of her brood, as effective prayer warrior. She accepted the assignment and carried it out admirably. When rewards are given out in Heaven for ministry that prospered, her arms will be just as full as Billy's. I Samuel 30:24 comes to mind here. So does the example of Philip in Acts 8, who was just as willing to go out into the desert to witness to one man privately as he was to preach publically before great crowds with amazing, attention-grabbing results. Too many in Christian work nowadays crave the spotlight and the cameras and the recognitions and the praise. Too few seem ready to do the menial or the backstage jobs. Lots want to be on the platform and get the pats-on-the-back. Not enough want to do nursery duty or cut the grass or clean up after a church supper since they may not be seen. Ruth lovingly, humbly, unobtrusively kept her family together, and her quiet efforts paid rich dividends in that all 5 of her children, in adulthood, have had ministries of their own.

Our older saints, our Christian soldiers of the previous generation, are slipping away now, going on home. Dr. Falwell on May 15, now Ruth Graham. Many others, too, most lesser-known. They did their work and now they are leaving the stage. What a standard they set for us, not only in what they accomplished but in how they lived. I dread it, but I know the day is going to come, and perhaps soon, when Dr. Graham himself is gonna pass from the scene. Who is going to step up to the plate and keep the work advancing? Who will take their places? Our mandate, our mission remains the same and will stay in force until Jesus comes even though the workers and the soldiers periodically change. Are we ready to fill in the gaps and vacancies created as some go to their rest? What will later history say about us, in our moment of contribution? Will it be able to say of us, as was said of King David, that we "served our generation"(Acts 13:36) before exiting for our rest?

Thank you, Ruth Graham. Frail little lady of 87 who did her best and gave her all.

Surely you've already heard Jesus say, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant."

It'll be an honor to meet you, one day, over there.