In the early 60's, he visited the mission in Nigeria where I lived. I have a few pictures from that time, though I was just a preschooler. He visited the town of Ogbomoso where my parents were stationed and, according to a story I heard from Mom, he saved my sister from being disciplined by her. My sister, Alisa, only about a four or five year old, saw the table full of goodies that had been prepared for Billy Graham's reception and nudged her way closer to it. Once there, she sneakily ran her fingers around the base of a cake, getting the sweet cream icing on her little hands which she lifted to her mouth and licked. She thought no one had seen her but two people had--my mother and Billy Graham.
Mom made her way toward Alisa but Dr.Graham stepped between them. He smiled at my Mom, and said. "Don't scold her. She's just a child." He surely came between myriad others and judgement too as he preached around the world telling people how they could be forgiven of their sins because of Jesus' death and resurrection.
(Billy Graham is the tall man walking in front, my dad, Dr. Keith Edwards, is the man almost adjacent to him just behind the woman. These are some of the missionary doctors at the hospital in Ogbomoso showing Dr. Graham around the hospital.)
Today, the world lost a great man. I am immediately reminded of Isaiah 6:1, “In the year of King Uzziah’s death, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple.”
A king's death was always a time of uncertainty for the people. But in this shaky, uncertain time, what did the prophet see? He saw God still on His throne, high and lifted up. Today as we face the loss of this godly man, we can know that still too, God is on his throne. He still reigns. His plans for Dr. Graham's life are complete but He has other plans for other people still here on earth.
