Amazing

[RustyAngeL]

BILLY GRAHAM HAS ALWAYS BEEN ONE OF THE MOST HUMBLE PEOPLE THAT I HAVE EVER WATCHED ON TV. THIS STORY IS SO TOUCHING. THIS IS HOW ALL CHRISTIANS SHOULD BE BUT WE ARE ALL HUMAN AND THIS IS A VERY HARD TO BE HUMBLE AND GIVE LOVE TO EVERYONE WHEN SOMEONE IS DOING YOU WRONG. I TRY TO TURN THE OTHER CHEEK BUT I FIND MYSELF JUST BACKING AWAY AND NOT WANTING TO BE FRIENDS WITH THAT PERSON. I DO PRAY FOR THEM AND THAT GIVES ME PEACE. I WONDER HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE HURT BILLY GRAHAM AND HE STILL PUT HIS ARMS AROUND THEM AND "NESTLED". ENJOY THIS AND CRY. I DID! LOVE NELLIE

Billy Graham and Oprah - What a good story!

Last year I watched Billy Graham being interviewed by Oprah Winfrey on

television. Oprah told him that in her childhood home, she use to watch him

preach on a little black and white TV while sitting on a linoleum floor.

She went on to the tell viewers that in his lifetime Billy has preached to

twenty-million people around the world, not to mention the countless

numbers who have heard him whenever his crusades are broadcast. When she

asked if he got nervous before facing a crowd, Billy replied humbly, "No, I

don't get nervous before crowds, but I did today before I was going to meet

with you."

Oprah's show is broadcast to twenty-million people every day. She is

comfortable with famous stars and celebrities but seemed in awe of Dr.

Billy Graham.

When the interview ended, she told the audience, "You don't often see this

on my show, but we're going to pray." Then she asked Billy to close in

prayer The camera panned the studio audience as they bowed their heads and

closed their eyes just like in one of his crusades.

Oprah sang the first line from the song that is his hallmark "Just as I am,

without a plea," misreading the line and singing off'-key, but her voice

was full of emotion and almost cracked.

When Billy stood up after the show, instead of hugging her guest, Oprah's

usual custom, she went over and just nestled against him. Billy wrapped his

arm around her and pulled her under his shoulder. She stood in his fatherly

embrace with a look of sheer contentment.

I once read the book "Nestle, Don't Wrestle" by Corrie Ten Boom. The power

of nestling was evident on the TV screen that day. Billy Graham was not the

least bit condemning, distant, or hesitant to embrace a public personality

who may not fit the evangelistic mold. His grace and courage are sometimes

stunning.

In an interview with Hugh Downs, on the 20/20 program, the subject turned

to homosexuality. Hugh looked directly at Billy and said, "If you had a

homosexual child, would you love him?" Billy didn't miss a beat. He replied

with sincerity and gentleness, "Why, I would love that one even more."

The title of Billy's autobiography, "Just As I Am," says it all. His life

goes before him speaking as eloquently as that charming southern drawl for

which he is known. If, when I am eighty years old, my autobiography were

to be titled "Just As I Am," I wonder how I would live now? Do I have the

courage to be me? I'll never be a Billy Graham, the elegant man who draws

people to the Lord through a simple one-point message, but I hope to be

a person who is real and compassionate and who might draw people to nestle

within God's embrace.

Do you make it a point to speak to a visitor or person who shows up alone

at church, buy a hamburger for a homeless man, call your mother on Sunday

afternoons, pick daisies with a little girl, or take a fatherless boy to a

baseball game? Did anyone ever tell you how beautiful you look when you're

looking for what's beautiful in someone else?

Billy complimented Oprah when asked what he was most thankful for; he said,

"Salvation given to us in Jesus Christ" then added, "and the way you have

made people all over this country aware of the power of being grateful."

When asked his secret of love, being married fifty-four years to the same

person, he said, "Ruth and I are happily incompatible."

How unexpected. We would all live more comfortably with everybody around us

if we would find the strength in being grateful and happily incompatible.

Let's take the things that set us apart, that make us different, that cause

us to disagree, and make them an occasion to compliment each other and be

thankful for each other. Let us be big enough to be smaller than our

neighbor, spouse, friends, and strangers.

Every day, may we Nestle, not Wrestle! Please pass this one on...

[InternalFlame]

This is very true...I have been contemplateing this for a while, how we must show love to non-christains in order to really reach them. Sitting there and "wrestleing" with them as it is put...condeming them and telling them they're all wrong won't get them closer to God. It's embraceing them and showing then the beauty and love of Christ that makes the difference.