Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks on September 5, 2009
In case you were wondering, the 90-year-old ailing evangelist Billy Graham may have trouble seeing, hearing and walking—but he doesn’t have a death wish. Nor is he depressed. So his daughter, Anne Graham Lotz, told Twin Cities radio station KTIS (which Billy Graham launched 60 years ago) in what seems like an answer to a question nobody asked.
“He struggles a little bit, I think, with a sense of purpose,” Lotz said.
On a positive note, she does add that he’s clear-minded, quick to pray about current events and deeply misses his late wife, Ruth Bell Graham who died in 2007.
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks on March 5, 2009
If you ever needed a reason to hate cats, this may be it: Billy Graham’s cat keeps biting him. The Ashville Citizen-Times gave an update on Billy Graham’s health, from his grandson, Will Graham.
“He’s 90—I think that’s about the best way to describe it,” said Will Graham. “He has good days and bad days.”
Will Graham added that an electronic stunt has made a marked difference in Graham’s health. He also added that a cat given to Billy Graham for his birthday has been continually biting his hands. Graham, a dog lover, has tolerated the cat:
“He said, ‘That’s OK—it lets me know I’m still alive,’” Will Graham said.
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks on January 23, 2009
In 1952 Billy Graham hit a wall of exhaustion in his early 30s and wasn’t sure he could go on.
“I’ve always thought my life would be a short one,” Graham said at the time. “I don’t think my ministry will be long. I think God allowed me to come for a moment and it will be over soon.”
Yet Billy Graham continued to do crusade ministry until 2005, speaking to nearly 215 million people in live audiences in over 185 countries. While frail and mostly homebound today, he continues to minister.
“The New Testament says nothing of Apostles who retired and took it easy,” Graham said in a 1993 article about his 75th birthday. Graham turned 90 last fall and is currently writing a book about growing old.
“It doesn’t make me feel any different, turning 75, than when I turned 45,” Graham said in 1993. “But when I see pictures of my 19 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren, I know some time has passed. I let days like that slip by and try to forget it. I’m not looking backward. I’m looking to the future.”
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks on January 9, 2009
Digging into the Internet archives usually produces some interesting fodder, like this 1978 feature on Billy Graham from Texas Monthly (registration required). The headline on the magazine’s colorful cover reads, “Billy Graham: The Most Powerful Evangelist Since Jesus?” The article doesn’t spend much time comparing Billy Graham to 2,000 years worth of preachers but it does give a detailed biography and includes a number of interesting tidbits.
What is the Appeal of Billy Graham?
One section seeks to explain the broad appeal of Billy Graham and bluntly admits how pedestrian Billy Graham can be:
“What does Graham have that makes him so appealing to so many? He is attractive, forceful, and confident, to be sure, but one would hardly describe him as colorful; in fact, he seems almost dynamically bland. He seldom turns a memorable phrase, his mind seems innocent of complexity, and his observations are thoroughly predictable. All of us know several people who are intrinsically more interesting. And yet he is undeniably one of the authentic All-American Heroes.”
Continue reading »
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks on December 29, 2008
Billy Graham—the 90-year-old evangelist who suffers from Parkinson’s disease, has a shunt in his brain, has had prostate cancer and most recently spent a night in the hospital for observation after tripping over one of his three dogs—is writing a book about growing old.
“He’s always been ready to die,” said his son Franklin Graham, “But nobody’s prepared him for getting old.”
The book will cover Billy Graham’s personal experience with growing old and will focus on how people can prepare both emotionally and spiritually for what can be the most fulfilling years of life.
“I never expected to live this long, and it is hard to believe I have reached the age of 90,” said Billy Graham. “Every day is a gift from God, no matter how old we are. I have discovered that just because we grow weaker physically as we age, it doesn’t mean that we must grow weaker spiritually. In fact, we ought to be growing stronger spiritually because our eyes ought to be on eternity and heaven—on the things that really matter.”
Family and friends have expressed concern over Billy Graham’s health and note that he still struggles with the loss of his wife, the late Ruth Bell Graham, who died in 2007.
“He could catch a cold and his life could come to end,” Franklin said. “At his age, any little thing could be a serious event. We realize that.”
