You probably wonder why I’ve picked such a title for this blog post. The truth is, I’ve pondered what to write here today and it’s been a struggle. February is usually one of my favorite months for several reasons. My granddaughter and I share the month of February for our birthdays, and that’s pretty cool. Valentine’s Day always meant more to me because from my early childhood my dad made that day (my birthday) special for me and for my mom.
But this year February has seen children and teachers die – again! – in another school shooting, which has set off all sorts of emotions in me and the search for real, positive answers to some very tough questions. If you read my comments on my Facebook page, you already know how I feel about such tragedies and the state of the human heart. But that doesn’t mean we as a people should not do more to protect our children, our teachers, our public places, our lives. It’s just that none of these things can be fixed with just one thing. Do I want to see better gun restrictions and background checks? Yes. Do we really need automatic weapons? My gut says “no” but perhaps the military does to protect our land. I don’t know.
I could get into all of the debates here, but that is not my purpose and I honestly don’t have the answers, only a few suggestions. In a school in Indiana highlighted on the news last night they seem to have found a multiplicity of solutions that I hope someday will be in every classroom, every school. Of course, the solutions are expensive, and that’s what also makes this complicated.
Then I woke up this morning to the news that Billy Graham is now with Jesus. I knew this day would eventually come as we all see death someday. But Billy Graham was a big part of my family growing up. We watched his crusades on television, and he was highly respected in our home. Today as I read one of his obituaries, I realized that there is something else I have in common with Billy Graham aside from our mutual faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. That is he knew his purpose–to preach the good news of Jesus to everyone who would listen. And he did his best to stay true to that purpose.
Now I’m sure, as any human on this planet, he may have failed a time or two, but at one time in this country, Billy Graham was considered one of the most highly respected people on earth. His decision to model truth and purity made an impact, and he cared most about the souls of people than anything else. That was his mission, his calling from God.
And that’s why I believe he will be missed the most. His love for Jesus and his desire to see everyone come to know Him and to understand the love of Christ–how He “demonstrated His love for us in that while we were still sinners (estranged from Him) Christ died for us.” (Words in parentheses mine.) That’s the good news Billy Graham preached.
That good news can heal the brokenhearted, can transform a life from evil to good. And perhaps if some of these school shooters and terrorists across the globe heard this truth, perhaps they would have made a different choice. Put the gun down. Take off the suicide vest. Shut off the truck intended to kill. Steer the plane away from the Twin Towers, stop the abuse of civilians with chemical weapons, stop the rhetoric of nuclear war…Jesus came to free us from all of that. And to bring us to a loving, spiritually healing relationship with God.
But it takes a willing heart to hear this news and accept it. Billy Graham preached that good news to people around the globe. And thousands upon thousands of people listened. Back then, when I was growing up and the good news was being preached across the airwaves, we didn’t have the tragedies I’ve named above. We still had sin. We still had evil and I am not naive enough to suggest we did not or had not come from a history of atrocities of humanity against humanity.
But people knew right from wrong in a different way back then. And I guess you could say for a time there was less of what we are facing today.
While I believe heaven rejoices because Billy Graham finished the race, he kept the faith, and he is enjoying the joys God promises to all who believe, I also believe that Mr. Graham’s work of preaching and teaching the good news of Jesus is not completed. Not yet. One day, as the Apostle Peter declared, the end will come and it is near. But it is not yet.
There is still time to repent. There is still time to allow God to heal every broken heart. God’s Spirit will not strive with men forever. This is what Billy Graham preached, what the Bible teaches. And what the history of Scripture has foretold for millennia through countless different authors whose words still ring as true today as they did then.
My prayer, as I look at this month that has already held so many reasons to both rejoice and fear, is that God will raise up men and women to continue to speak the truth of God’s Word through any medium available to them. Shout it from the mountaintops, whisper it in the dark, speak it in the light to any heart willing to listen. Ask God to open our eyes and our ears and if we doubt, ask Him for faith. If we cannot discern truth from error, ask Him for wisdom.
My heart’s desire is to see a new awakening, a revival like the kind my dad knew when he walked down a sawdust trail to ask Jesus into his life. He was four years old and he never stopped believing. God honors the faith of a child. God honors the faith of a dying person. God does not give up on us even when we give up on Him. He pleads with us to come to Him so He can give us rest. Rest from a weary, frustrating, out of control world. Rest from our own bitter struggles, Rest eventually like Billy Graham knows today.
If you do not know Him. If you once thought you did but realized it was only a mental agreement, not a heart change, it’s still okay to turn around and believe. Like Jesus told Thomas, “Stop doubting and believe.”
Because if you really look at the facts and study Scripture with and honest heart, you can’t help but see the truth there. He is written on every page.
May He meet you where you are today.
