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My Favorite Poem by Ruth Graham

Ruth Graham’s ministry as a writer began to flourish in the 1980s. She would author several books filled with spiritual insight and poetry. The poem below captures her perspective on life as life dances with time. More than one reading is needed to fully grasp the depth of her feeling.

Oh, time! be slow!

it was a dawn ago

I was a child Dreaming of being grown;

A noon ago

I was

With children of my own;

And now

It’s afternoon

And late,

And they are grown

And gone.

Time, wait!

– Ruth Bell Graham, 1974

Living With Eternal Intentionality®

"He has also put eternity in the human heart" (Ecclesiastes 3:11).

What about this poem speaks to you?

How do you explain the feeling and perspective conveyed through the pen of its poet?

A Cameo of Ruth Graham

Many reporters ask me who is the greatest Christian I have ever known. I always answer, Ruth.

— Billy Graham

Ruth Bell Graham’s life (June 10, 1920–June 14, 2007) rises up as an inspiring journey of faith and love. Ruth modeled growth in Christ in an extraordinary way, and as a writer, poet, wife, and mother, she represented a powerful presence in the life of her husband, Billy Graham.

Born in China, Ruth Bell entered the world as the daughter of medical missionaries, where her father, Dr. Nelson Bell, served as a surgeon. One of four children, Ruth was nurtured in the Christian faith that would shape her life. She stated, “Not only did Mother and Daddy teach the faith in the home, they lived it. And as a consequence, it was easy as a child to give my heart to the Lord Jesus.”

Ruth Bell journeyed to the United States to attend Wheaton College in suburban Chicago. Traveling aboard the USS McKinley, contemplating her avowed spinster existence, she penned these now prophetic words:

If I marry, he must be so tall when he is on his knees, as one has said, he reaches all the way to heaven. His lips must be strong enough to smile, firm enough to say no, and tender enough to kiss.
— Ruth Graham

“If I marry, he must be so tall when he is on his knees, as one has said, he reaches all the way to heaven. His shoulders must be broad enough to bear the burden of a family. His lips must be strong enough to smile, firm enough to say no, and tender enough to kiss. His love must be so deep that it takes its stand in Christ and so wide that it takes in the whole world. He must be big enough to be gentle and great enough to be thoughtful. His arms must be strong enough to carry a little child.”

When she met her future husband, he quickly made an indelible impression. “I heard him praying and I thought, ‘There is a man who knows to whom he is speaking.’ I remember getting on my knees that night and just saying, ‘Lord, if You will let me spend the rest of my life serving You with him, I will consider it the greatest privilege.’ I didn’t know at the time what that would imply.”

Ruth and Billy were married in 1943 in the North Carolina mountains. The young couple soon returned to Illinois, where Billy became pastor of a small church in the Chicago area. He later served as a traveling evangelist with a new organization called Youth for Christ. In 1949, he began a ministry that would eventually reach millions. Ruth had a profound influence on his message and was an indispensable partner as the Graham ministry grew.

By the late 1950s, the Grahams had five children and a permanent home on a mountaintop near the North Carolina village of Montreat. Ruth’s responsibility as a mother was demanding. Often with Billy away at crusades, she was on her own to raise three daughters and two sons while her husband traveled around the world with his message of salvation through Jesus Christ. Saying goodbye, often for months at a time, never became easy. Ruth’s faith helped her face these trying times.

Looking back on my life, I thank God for especially the tough times. That’s when the Bible comes to life for you. That’s when the Lord Jesus becomes the most real to you.
— Ruth Graham

“Looking back on my life, I thank God for especially the tough times. That’s when the Bible comes to life for you. That’s when the Lord Jesus becomes the most real to you.”

After their children were grown, Ruth often joined her husband on the road, where she frequently shared her faith with others. Ruth’s ministry as a writer began to flourish in the 1980s. She would author several books of spiritual insight and poetry.

In 1996, Ruth and Billy Graham became only the third couple in U.S. history to receive the Congressional Gold Medal. With nineteen grandchildren, dozens of great-grandchildren, and friends and admirers around the world, Ruth Graham’s life overflowed with blessings. Her warm heart and her gracious spirit embody the hallmarks of a ministry that will endure.

In her later years, Ruth said, “I’ve enjoyed growing old.”
— Ruth Graham

In her later years, Ruth said, “I’ve enjoyed growing old. There is so much to look forward to after this life. And so much to look back on. And the thing that stands out in my life, above everything else, is the promises of God that you have seen come true.”

Living With Eternal Intentionality®

“He has also set eternity in the heart of men” (Ecclesiastes 3:11).

What intrigues you most about the life of Ruth Graham?

How do you relate to her attitude on growing old?

The contents of this cameo are lifted from The Leader’s Wife: Living With Eternal Intentionality®


Copied From the Personal Notebook of Elisabeth Elliot

Sitting in the audience, feverishly taking notes, I tried desperately to capture her every word. Elisabeth Elliot’s topic was, “For the Sake of the Joy.” Afterward, knowing I missed a bit, I approached the podium and asked, “May I please copy from your own notes the reference to Andrew Murray?”

With only a nanosecond of hesitation (and I wasn’t sure of the answer), she said, “Yes, Here it is. But please don’t’ lose it. Please. I have no other copy.”

With that, Elisabeth Elliot, our conference speaker, closed her small, very worn three-ring leather binder and placed it into my outstretched hand. Having respect for the countless hours of labor contained in this aged volume, I quickly set about transcribing from her notebook into mine the content below. At the top of my page, I began with this inscription:

Copied from the personal notebook of Elisabeth Elliot, September 13, 1987

Andrew Murray’s Rules for Himself

1. He brought me here, it is by His will that I am in this strait place: in that fact I will rest.

2. He will keep me here in His love, and give me grace to behave as His child.

3. He will make the trail a blessing, teach me the lessons He intends for me to learn, and work in me the grace He means to bestow.

4. In His good time He can bring me out again - - how and when He knows.

Let me say, I am here:

  1. By God’s appointment

2. In His keeping

3. Under His training

4. For His time

When my task of transcribing was complete, I closed the cover, studied the item in my hand, rubbed my fingers over the aged leather, and forthwith returned it to its rightful owner. With relief, she said, “Thank you; oh, thank you!”

I’m not sure what taught me more, Andrew Murray’s Rules for Himself or Elisabeth Elliot’s willingness to trust her only teaching notebook into the hands of a spiritual neophyte. For both I, to this day, remain grateful.

Living With Eternal Intentionality®

“He has also set eternity in the heart of man.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11b).

Do you find yourself in a hard place, approaching a hard place, or recently coming out of a hard place?

How did God meet you?

What aspect of Andrew Murray’s Rule #2 relates to your situation?

Consider how this content speaks to both the sovereignty of God and the compassion of God?