Graham - Nearing home: life, faith, and finishing well

2011 William F. Graham, Jr.

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Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com.

Scripture quotations marked ESV are from the English Standard Version. 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.

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Scripture quotations marked NASB are from the New American Standard Bible, The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

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ISBN 978-0-8499-6482-4 (trade paper)

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Graham, Billy, 1918

Nearing home : life, faith, and finishing well / Billy Graham.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 181).

ISBN 978-0-8499-4832-9 (hardcover)

1. AgingReligious aspectsChristianity. 2. Older ChristiansReligious life.

3. Graham, Billy, 1918 I. Title.

BV4580.G725 2011

248.8'5dc23

2011031734

Printed in the United States of America

13 14 15 16 17 RRD 5 4 3 2 1

CONTENTS

I am deeply grateful to all those who have encouraged me to write this book, especially my son Franklin and my editors at Thomas Nelson, David Moberg and Matt Baugher. My longtime associate, Dr. John N. Akers, worked with me to develop the manuscript for publication; without his assistance it would not have been completed. I am thankful also for the contributions of Dr. David Bruce, Stephanie Wills, and Patricia Lynn of my staff, and of Donna Lee Toney.

I never thought I would live to be this old.

All my life I was taught how to die as a Christian, but no one ever taught me how I ought to live in the years before I die. I wish they had because I am an old man now, and believe me, its not easy.

Whoever first said it was right: old age is not for sissies. Get any group of older people together, and I can almost guarantee what their favorite topic of conversation will be: their latest aches and pains.

I will soon celebrate my ninety-third birthday, and I know it wont be long before God calls me home to Heaven. More than ever I look forward to that daynot just because of the wonders I know Heaven holds in store for me and for every believer but because I know that finally all the burdens and sorrows that press down upon me at this stage of my life will be over. During the last year the physical ailments common to old age really have taken their toll on me. I also look forward to that day because I will be reunited with Ruth, my beloved wife and best friend for almost sixty-four years, who went home in 2007 to be with the Lord she loved and served so faithfully. Although I rejoice that her struggles with weakness and pain have all come to an end, I still feel as if a part of me has been ripped out, and I miss her far more than I ever could have imagined.

No, old age is not for sissies.

But that isnt the whole story, nor did God intend for it to be. While the Bible doesnt gloss over the problems we face as we grow older, neither does it paint old age as a time to be despised or a burden to be endured with gritted teeth (if we still have any). Nor does it picture us in our latter years as useless and ineffective, condemned to spend our last days in endless boredom or meaningless activity until God finally takes us home.

Instead the Bible says that God has a reason for keeping us here; if He didnt, He would take us to Heaven far sooner. But what is His purpose for these years, and how can we align our lives with it? How can we not only learn to cope with the fears and struggles and growing limitations we face but also actually grow stronger inwardly in the midst of these difficulties? How can we face the future with hope instead of despair? These are some of the questions I have been forced to deal with as I have grown older; perhaps the same is true of you as well.

This book, however, isnt written just for old people. It is written for people at every stage of lifeeven those who never have thought much about growing older. The reason is simple: the best way to meet the challenges of old age is to prepare for them now, before they arrive. I invite you to explore with me not only the realities of life as we grow older but also the hope and fulfillmentand even joythat can be ours once we learn to look at these years from Gods point of view and discover His strength to sustain us every day.

Someday our lifes journey will be over. In a sense we all are nearing home. As we do so, I pray that you and I may not only learn what it means to grow older but, with Gods help, also learn to grow older with grace and find the guidance needed to finish well.

BILLY GRAHAM

RUNNING TOWARD
HOME

Teach us to number our days,
that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

PSALM 90:12

Remember that as a faithful child of God you await promotion.

VANCE HAVNER

G rowing old has been the greatest surprise of my life. The young live for the here and now. Thinking ahead seems to be in the form of dreams that promise fairy-tale endings. Though I am nearing ninety-three, it doesnt seem so long ago that I was one of those dreamers, filled with great expectation, planning a life that would satisfy my every desire. Since there were few things in life that I loved more than baseball, as a young man I dedicated myself to the sport and hoped that my passion for the game would lead me straight to the major leagues. My goal was simple: stand at home plate, with bat in hand, immersed in an important game. I often pictured myself hitting a big-league grand slam into the stadium seats and hearing the crowd roar with thunder as I ran the basesnearing home.

I never would have guessed what lay in store. After giving my heart to the Lord Jesus Christrepenting of my sin and putting my entire life into His handsI laid down my dreams, along with my bat, and fully embraced Gods plan by faith, trusting that He would lead me all the way. He did, He is, and He will.

As I look back, I see how Gods hand guided me. I sense His Spirit with me today, and most comforting is the knowledge that He will not forsake me during this last stretch as I am nearing home. If that doesnt give me a sense of hope, nothing else will.