A weekend with Audrey, Billy, Bessie and Jodi

This radiant lady is my grandmother, Audrey. We lovingly call her Mom (and now that she's a great-grandmother sometimes The Grand Mom). I just spent an amazing 3 days with her thanks to several family members - namely my hubby! To read the back story of how this came to be, click here.

What an amazing weekend to learn more about my grandmother and her faith, my late grandfather, my father, and other family. She is a kindred spirit, and I am so thankful for these memories. Rarely do I have her all to myself - and for 3 whole days! We laughed, we cried, we sat in awe of God, we worshipped, and we prayed together. We were scarcely quiet - even when reading late at night my grandmother laughs out loud when she gets tickled. My heart overflows with gratitude for those who helped us get away for this rare treat. I didn't think I could love this lady any more, but I was wrong.

Friday morning, I flew to Birmingham where I met my grandmother at the airport. Mom and I hit the road to Charlotte trying to beat the bad weather that was headed our way. Eight hours (filled with stories, laughter, heavy rain and much traffic) later we arrived at our beautiful hotel and crashed.

The next morning we headed to the Billy Graham Library for the day. Literally, I mean the day. They say to give yourself 1 1/2 - 2 hours for the tour - we were there a total of 6 hours (yes, S-I-X!!!!). We enjoyed ourselves so much that we didn't even notice how late it was. Not only are the grounds beautiful (even with a light rain), but they have thought of every detail. The library/museum is constructed like a barn - even down to the sinks in the bathroom! The cafe is called the Graham Brothers Dairy Bar and the hot dogs are named Billy Franks. (The family dairy farm was known as Graham Brothers Dairy and Billy was called Billy Frank by his folks since he is a junior.) They even have a robotic cow, Bessie, that starts off the tour with a song. She was quite impressive! Check out Mom eating her Billy Frank...

This is the house Billy grew up in just a few miles from its current location. It has been moved brick by brick and restored. We had the joy of talking with Rose Adams, Mrs. Graham's nurse in her last years (Billy's mother). What a treat to hear directly from the women who was so close to her in those days.



The focus of the tour is Christ. You enter the library through the foot of the cross. Every video, memorabilia, quote, and Scripture speaks of the message of the Gospel. Inspiring!

Two things really struck me while I was there:
1. The chain of faith as they called it. The chain starts with a Sunday school teacher who led D.L. Moody to the Lord. D.L. led someone else who did something else and on and on until it mentions Rev. Ham, the evangelist that led the revival when Billy Graham accepted Christ. We never know how our actions affect the Kingdom.
2. The faith and commitment of Morrow Coffey Graham (Billy's mother) and Ruth Bell Graham. These women served their families tirelessly and sought God above all else. What an influence they had on Billy and what crucial roles they played so Billy could do what God called him to do. What a challenge to me as a young wife and mother.

Ruth Bell Graham is buried on the grounds - at the foot of the cross. The sidewalks down to the grave site form a cross. What a beautiful picture. Her marker, a simple field stone from NC, reads, "End of construction. Thank you for your patience." She saw the sign as they were driving down the highway one day and said that it was what she wanted on her tombstone. The family agreed. I think it is quite poignant.


God blessed us in a myriad of ways Saturday. One of the best was getting to meet the director of the library, Wayne. Mom's pastor knows Wayne and told her to ask for him. Being a Saturday he wasn't there, but she left him a note. As we were about to leave the library, a guide caught us and told us Wayne had stopped by. He took a large amount of time from his day to share with us some details we didn't know about the library, the current happenings of the ministry, and Billy's health. He gave us a couple of commemorative magazines and gave my grandmother a wonderful book that chronicles Billy's life and ministry in pictures. We felt God smiling on us all day.

God blessed me personally with a real treat - tulips everywhere! I love tulips and the business complex near our hotel used them as the backdrop of their landscaping. The red, white, and unique orangey-pink flowers warmed my heart each time we passed.

The drive back to Birmingham Sunday was much less eventful, but full of worship as we enjoyed the CD Mom bought at the gift shop. Those old hymns brought back a flood of memories.

To cap off the weekend, my best friend met me at the Birmingham airport to visit while I waited to take off. She kindly brought a Sonic coke and Cadbury Creme Eggs - gotta love her! It was another wonderful refreshment for my soul to spend time with her. Always a treat - even if it was only an hour.

It was a weekend that I am still processing - a weekend of rejuvenation and refreshment. A weekend where God spoke.

And Clay and the kids did great just like I knew they would.