Mom, Dad, And Billy Graham

You'd have to living under a rock not to know who Billy Graham was.
Preacher.....evangelist.....Voice of a generation.....One message...one God.....One hope for all. Truly a voice for generations that pointed to the cross and Jesus Christ as the only hope.
Television has been full of reports and stories about Dr. Graham this past week.
Billy Graham died...
Ninety-nine years of age...
No telling how many lives have been changed by his message.
No telling how many people attended his crusades over the years...
Yet through it all, he remained the same.
I guess everyone has a memory of Billy Graham.
I do, and I'd like to share it here this morning.

The year? 1981....
The time? April...spring was in the air. The trees were full and the birds were adding their songs to the wind. A time of life..........a time of new birth....but for the Bynum household, death was on the door step. My mom as dying of pancreatic cancer.

Found out about it in February of 1981. Doctor's brought the news to dad. My brother and I just stood there by him as the truth settled in over all of us. They, the doctor's, had done all they could. Oh, they would try radiation and chemo, but the bottom line was this was an aggressive cancer and death was what lay in mom's future.

By April of that year, mom took to her bed because she was so weak.
My dad became her caregiver, and I watched him change.
Before mom was sick, my dad was always on the go. There was always something to be done or somewhere to go. I can't tell you the number of times Vicki and I would go to see them, share a meal with them, and at the end of the meal my day would stand and announce, "It was good to see you...stay as long as you like...I've got to go." But now with mom's sickness, his goings ceased. This was the love of his life laying in that bed and he was going to take care of her. My dad never left her side.

At some point, the pain was really bad and mom was suffering. Dad did all he knew to do, and had to stand there and watch. Or did he?  You see, my mom, over the years, had supported Billy Graham's ministry. Every month she sent an offering to help with the crusade or whatever else needed funds. She never missed. I think maybe what happened next was a "God-moment". My dad decided that mom needed a "Special" prayer, and Billy Graham was the man who needed to pray over her.

Going through papers, my dad found a number to call. He picked up the phone and slowly dialed it. A young girl answered the phone with a pleasant voice asking is she could be of assistance. My dad told her of the situation with my mom and asked to speak to Rev. Graham. The young voice on the other end tried to explain that it would not be possible to take care of my dad's request. My dad had all this emotion pent up from watching his wife slowly die before his eyes, explained to this young girl that not only was it going to be possible, it was also going to be highly probable to get Rev. Graham to the phone. Dad told of my mom's faithfulness to send her money in to the ministry, and how she'd never asked for one thing in return, but here at this point she needed prayer and Rev. Graham was the one who needed to pray.  The young girl excused herself and said she'd return in a moment.

The next voice my dad heard was Rev. Graham.
He inquired about mom, as to her condition, then he prayed.
To my dad, heaven had come down into that little house on Gallant Road.
He placed the phone near mom so she could hear the prayer.
At the conclusion, he told mom that there would be others praying for her.
My dad thanked him for taking the time.

Mom died on May 26th. There was sadness in the day, but not the kind that saps the life out of you. Sadness at the separation but hope in the promise that we would be together again at some point.
Rev. Graham's pray made it easier for my dad to turn loose of mom. To truly place her in God's hands.

So as I watched the news reports of Rev. Graham's funeral...
All the dignitaries and governmental officials....
I could not help but think of a simple man and the wife he loved meeting Rev. Graham when he entered heaven to thank him for a prayer he prayed. Come to think of it, I can't wait till I can thank him personally.

God on you...
mbb