‘Ruth Bell Graham truly lived the life her husband preached’
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell delivered the following statement on the Senate floor Friday honoring Ruth Bell Graham:
“I’d like to say a word about the passing yesterday of a great woman.
“As a child, Ruth Bell dreamed of surrendering her life to missionary work abroad. Then she gave up that dream so someone else could live it in her place. In this and in so many other quiet sacrifices, Ruth Bell Graham truly lived the life her husband preached.
“She inspired generations of men and women with her honest, wise, and faith-filled writings. And she inspired us again at the end by accepting with serenity the physical suffering of a long and painful illness.
“Her autobiography told the story of an ordinary woman struggling to raise a family while her famous husband wandered the world preaching to a thousand roaring crowds. But, as she said, ‘I’d rather have a little bit of Bill than a lot of any other man.’
“And looking back last night on more than 60 years of marriage, Billy Graham remembered his wife with a thankful heart. ‘I am so grateful to the Lord that he gave me Ruth,’ he said. As America says goodbye to the First Lady of Evangelical Christianity, we make those words our own.
“Like the Biblical heroine whose name she shared, Ruth Bell Graham followed her pilgrim’s journey wherever it took her. As a mother, a counselor, and the indispensable confidant of the world’s most famous preacher, she was always content to stay in the background. Her missionary field was her home. And in this, she was a powerful witness of the Gospel she loved.
“We are grateful for her faithfulness. And we mourn with the Graham family — Billy, Franklin, Nelson, Virginia, Anne, and Ruth — at the loss of this good and faithful servant.”
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Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell delivered the following statement on the Senate floor Friday honoring Ruth Bell Graham:
“I’d like to say a word about the passing yesterday of a great woman.
“As a child, Ruth Bell dreamed of surrendering her life to missionary work abroad. Then she gave up that dream so someone else could live it in her place. In this and in so many other quiet sacrifices, Ruth Bell Graham truly lived the life her husband preached.
“She inspired generations of men and women with her honest, wise, and faith-filled writings. And she inspired us again at the end by accepting with serenity the physical suffering of a long and painful illness.
“Her autobiography told the story of an ordinary woman struggling to raise a family while her famous husband wandered the world preaching to a thousand roaring crowds. But, as she said, ‘I’d rather have a little bit of Bill than a lot of any other man.’
“And looking back last night on more than 60 years of marriage, Billy Graham remembered his wife with a thankful heart. ‘I am so grateful to the Lord that he gave me Ruth,’ he said. As America says goodbye to the First Lady of Evangelical Christianity, we make those words our own.
“Like the Biblical heroine whose name she shared, Ruth Bell Graham followed her pilgrim’s journey wherever it took her. As a mother, a counselor, and the indispensable confidant of the world’s most famous preacher, she was always content to stay in the background. Her missionary field was her home. And in this, she was a powerful witness of the Gospel she loved.
“We are grateful for her faithfulness. And we mourn with the Graham family — Billy, Franklin, Nelson, Virginia, Anne, and Ruth — at the loss of this good and faithful servant.”
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