Mother Graham's Rhythm

After work today, knowing I had less than an hour before it closed, I drove quickly over to the Billy Graham Library. Thunderstorms were threatening and time was marching so I bound out of the car and into the childhood home of Rev. Graham. The two-story brick colonial house was originally on Park Road outside of Charlotte, NC. It was reconstructed here on the library grounds 9 years ago, just 4 miles from its original location.

Upon entering the home I found the normal furniture you would expect to find in your grandma’s home, there were family pictures hanging on the walls, and glass cases filled with momentos.

In one doorway sat an elderly woman who seemed to be putting something together. On the chair next to her was what looked like neatly piled Bible verse cards, some wrapped in rubber bands. In front of her, on a stand, there was a family photo album. I did what anyone would do. I asked her what she was working on.

She replied, that she was not working on anything but she was talking about somethings. I said, I would love to hear it, having absolutely no ideas who she was. She explained that she had asked permission from Billy’s mother to put together the photo album for her so that the grandchildren could remember what it was like to be at grandma’s house. She then began to show me the pictures that captured the life that had been lived in the house we were in.

One of the first photos she showed me was of the table by the front door. On it sat a Bible that was laid open. She explained that you would find Bibles all over the house opened to passages of scripture. The one by the front door was well worn and had many verses underlined. You would find it opened to the verse Billy’s parent chose for their marriage verse. I believe she said it would always be opened to Psalm 3.

You would also find a Bible in the shelves near the breakfast table. Each morning at breakfast they would read through a chapter in Proverbs and a chapter in the Psalms. Mother Graham would say, Proverbs teaches us to relate to one another, and the Psalms teaches us about our relationship with God. She would also use this time to pray for widows and mothers, knowing they needed God’s grace and guidance.

It was about this time that I asked this wonderful lady how she was related to the family. She said she was not related by birth, but she is part of their spiritual family. I then ask if I might know her name. She introduced herself as Rose Adams, Mother Graham’s friend and caregiver.

Rose went on to say that at lunch Mother Graham would use a devotional the title of which, I am sorry to say, I do not remember. At 5 pm every day, she would sit down in the chair in her room and read from one of the prophets in the Old Testament and would pray for Billy and the rest of the his team, knowing that they were getting ready for whatever meeting they had that evening. Before she went to bed, Mother Graham would read from the devotional, Streams in the Desert and she would pray for those who had asked her to pray for them.

Rose said that by living in that house she went to, what she called, Mother Grahams seminary. It provided a deep and rich education on how to live the life we have been given in Christ.

When I think about the rhythm in which Mother Graham lived, I can see that in many ways she lived out the rhythm modeled by followers of Christ throughout the centuries. Scripture readings, devotions and prayer were not something she did once a day. They were threads which were woven throughout the fabric of her day. Some Christian traditions call it Praying the Hours or the Divine Office, I think for mother Graham she must have simply thought of it as life. As natural and steady as the movement of the hands on the clock on the wall, was her movement of her heart and mind towards Christ.

Most all of us mark the movement of the day with meals. So did she, but she was not satisfied with food for the body, she also nourished her soul as the day moved through its cycle.

Having practiced a similar rhythm, I must confess with far less regularity than Mother Graham, I can tell you how this pattern of turning your heart, mind and soul towards God through scripture, prayer, and the wisdom of others who have walked this path before you breathes life into your day. It gives rest for your spirit. It ushers you into the presence of Christ, and puts the circumstances of your day into proper perspective. It teaches you how to live in such a way that you are not spending time with God, but living all of life with Him.

It was apparent in the stories that Rose shared that Mother Graham knew what it was to live like this. From the enthusiasm with which Rose shared these memories, I am guessing that she also knows the richness of life found in this rhythm.

As I left the house I could not help but be grateful for the encouragement I received from Rose, and her stories of Mother Graham. It strengthened my desire for more than three square meals which mark the passing of the day. I want to live in the kind of rhythm in which Mother Graham and Ms. Rose lived. I want each movement of the day to be made with an awareness of the presence of Christ and the power He has granted us through His word and through His Spirit.

If you want this too, you might want to check out some of these resources:

On the Web

My Utmost for His Highest - http://utmost.org/

Streams in the Desert - http://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/desert/

Morning and Evening - http://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/morningandevening/

Daily Bread - http://odb.org/

Common Prayer - http://commonprayer.net/

The Divine Hours - http://annarborvineyard.org/tdh/tdh.cfm

Sacred Space - http://www.sacredspace.ie/

Books

The Bible (Spice it up by using various translations)
Any of those listed under Web

Jesus Calling