Coincidence?

My awesome Dad

Growing up, my father always enchanted our imaginations with stories of his adventures - throwing bulls and breaking brumbies in the Northern Territory, fighting off robbers in Peru, sailing through terrible storms, and the like. With the recent publication of our article in Samaritan's Purse "On Call" magazine, my father shared with me a story I'd never heard.

In 1990, just two years after my father committed his life to Jesus, his church group helped coordinate a massive revival assembly for Franklin Graham's crusade. The event took place in my hometown, Lexington Virginia, in the basketball stadium of the Virginia Military Institute. Many years later, the same facility hosted both my high school graduation, and four years later, my graduation from VMI. 

The DeMoss outline of Franklin Graham Festivals

As my father recounted each detail of the event, my heart and mind swirled with lost memories...feint glimpses of a special outing with my Daddy, sitting high above and to the side of a big stage, the electric feel of corporate worship.

He recounted taking his eight year old son, Teddy, to see the renown revival preacher, Franklin Graham. The arena was packed, and Graham spoke powerfully, calling the assembly to New Life in Jesus Christ. The preacher closed with an invitation to join him at the stage - to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. My father sat back, sure of his faith, looking around with anticipation to see who, of the thousands gathered, would answer the call. 

Yup - that's me.

Franklin Graham,
son of legendary evangelist Billy Graham

Chuckling at this point in the story, my father remembered with wonder the enthusiasm in his own son's voice - "Daddy, can we go down?" Little Teddy grabbed his hand, tugging him down the bleacher stairs toward the man who offered New Life, to stand with just a few of the other first comers.

The story ends with Franklin Graham anointing Teddy's head with oil, ushering him into relationship with Jesus, a life set apart for the work of God.

As founder of World Medical Mission, Graham writes a beautiful introduction in the "On Call" magazine. WMM happens to be the very same organization which made our year in Papua New Guinea possible. Coincidence? Not if you believe God works for our good!

Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭28-30‬

And we know that in all things God works

for the good of those who love Him, 

who have been called according to His purpose. 

For those God foreknew He also predestined 

to be conformed to the image of His Son, 

that He might be the firstborn 

among many brothers and sisters. 

And those He predestined, He also called; 

those He called, He also justified; 

those He justified, He also glorified.