The Billy Grahams In Our Lives

So the renowned Billy Graham died the other day at the age of 99. He lived a “full” life. My father died at a young age of 57, my brother at 56, and my mother at 84. The feeling still sucks to this day. As my friend will say, it never gets better – you just have to get used to it!

But they are all in the same realm now… like the rest of the dead people we all valued. When my father died and I was still a teenager, I wailed in a way that probably could no longer be replicated – it was an expression of regret and hope that he would still rise from the dead! There was a finality to it that I could not seem to accept… somehow to this day.

Next that I lost in 2015 was my brother due to diabetes. I went to the morgue where he laid, tagging behind me were his wife and his young daughter. I could not wail but my tears were no less flowing nor accepting.

I found myself touching him from head to toe wondering if even a whiff of a care or a soul’s whisper will pass through his already cold hands and feet. Then I found a more definitive, “harder than diamond” – a dead person. I was absolutely shackled, and frustrated that all my attempt to extend my warmth, thoughts, and pain of losing him could not pass through even through a single cell. I am a mortal and there before me was the absolute end of mortality. 🙁

Then I lost my mom last year as if coming at a time when God had to push me to his new frontier and next stage in my life. This time it was a lingering illness that ran for months and the landing was more pronounced. But I remained argumentative with God until the very end, pleading on my Mom’s behalf – and on the strength of His goodness – to spare her even for a couple more days… that initially actually started for a couple more years bargain when her illness started.

The Lord would have none of my pleas. It was her time and I could not but humbly accept the verdict of the Almighty. She lived long but I wanted her to linger ten more years! I confess I was a fool for even arguing to know better but I knew the Lord understood my brokenness and my earlier reluctance to submit to the glory of His grand will.

Now Billy Graham is dead. As to whether he is in heaven or not (and my friends will probably hate me for not being absolutely affirmative) only God knows, but my point in this post is not even that.

There are those who live and are still here with us for a more grand reason. The dead are all but gone and already had their grand moments. But the living can still feel the warmth of our hands, the gentleness of our voices, the glory of our smiles, the hope of our forgiveness, and the happiness of our love. Promise, even a trace of those are not useful when someone is dead.

For in the grave, there will be no such thing. Death is as hard as a gem and as resolute as offended men. So let us learn to count our days while some remain and spend them sending our sweet nothings and glorious messages to the living… and the listening.

And it may yet still be the best honor we can give to all the calm men that have departed, like the Jobs, Stephens, Pauls and Peters of history and scripture. Best of all, let us hope that we have lived such calm lives that God gets to be pleased to raise us from the dead during the end days. #crazytruths! #thecalmentruth!