My Daddy's Day At The Billy Graham Library

My father, the Rev. James William Caviness, Jr.,

was a very humble man

and I don’t ever remember seeing him

“star struck” over anyone.

But I asked him once if he could meet anyone famous,

who it would be.  

After a bit of thought, he replied with,

“Well, I would love to have a conversation with Billy Graham.”  

I certainly couldn’t make that happen but the very next week,

my children and I took him to the Billy Graham Library.

The date was July 26, 2016.

It would be the last outing like that for my daddy.

And I could not have taken him without the help of his grandchildren.

I do believe those memories will be with them forever.

We all had a great time having lunch at the library,

touring the library,

seeing the memorial sites there,

touring Billy Graham’s homeplace,

and stopping to eat on the way home.

The trip there and the trip home were both fun, too!

I wish I could remember what Daddy got so tickled over

on the way home but I just can’t. 

But I am so happy we snapped the photos of the moment.

Those photos are priceless.

Most of us of a certain age have a Billy Graham story

and I have my own about going to see a certain Billy Graham movie

entitled “Joni.”  But I will save that for another day.

Today, as I think about Billy Graham’s passing,

I will celebrate that he is with his Jesus and his Ruth.

I will think of the altar call song he used so often

and is so entrenched in my childhood memories

of my dad’s altar calls, too.

It was all 6 verses of “Just As I Am,”

#119 in the older red Methodist hymnal.

And I will be thinking that I sure do hope my daddy
gets to finally have that conversation with him!

“Just as I am, without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bidst me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, and waiting not
To rid my soul of one dark blot,
To Thee whose blood can cleanse each spot,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, though tossed about
With many a conflict, many a doubt,
Fightings and fears within, without,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind;
Sight, riches, healing of the mind,
Yea, all I need in Thee to find,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, Thou wilt receive,
Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;
Because Thy promise I believe,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, Thy love unknown
Hath broken every barrier down;
Now, to be Thine, yea, Thine alone,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.”