The headline shocked me: “Billy Graham’s nephew isn’t mourning his passing.” I was afraid that journalists had found a disgruntled family member who would disparage Dr. Graham’s legacy.
It turns out, the opposite is true.
Deryl Graham is the son of Billy Graham’s brother. Deryl told reporters that the man he called “Uncle Billy” was the same person in private as he was in public:
“People who saw him on TV or during one of his crusades might think there’s no way he could be that good and straightforward in real life. But he was. He was meek, and he was honest, and he was pure.”
He said his family wasn’t mourning and was actually glad to see his uncle released from a body that had begun to fail him. “He’s been ready to go for quite some time,” Graham said. “He told us not long ago that he didn’t believe the Lord wanted him to see his 100th birthday on this earth.”
Deryl’s wife, Nova Graham, agreed that their family wasn’t grieving Dr. Graham’s death in the way that people might think. “We are so happy for him,” she said. “He finally gets to be with his two great loves: the Lord and Ruth.”
“‘Must’ is the word”
A survey released on Monday ranked Abraham Lincoln as our greatest president, followed by George Washington, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Theodore Roosevelt, and Thomas Jefferson. The scholars’ opinion of our greatest president is not surprising. As one historian noted, “No President in American history ever faced a greater crisis and no President ever accomplished as much.”
Since I share this opinion, periodically I read something by or about Mr. Lincoln. I am currently reading The Words Lincoln Lived By: 52 Timeless Principles to Light Your Path by noted Lincoln scholar Gene Griessman.
One chapter begins with this statement by Mr. Lincoln: “Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other one thing.” According to Griessman, Mr. Lincoln…
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