On Nov. 7, 2021, to commemorate what would have been his father’s 103rd birthday, Franklin Graham told us about his father’s favorite meal. Of course, his father was the famous Dr. Billy Graham who passed away in 2018 at the ripe old age of 99, leaving a legacy that will never be equaled again.
During his lifetime as an evangelist, Dr. Graham preached to more people and won more people to Christ than any other person in the modern era. If you could have seen the size of the crowds, not only here in America but all over the world, you would be greatly impressed. I am here to tell you that no football stadium would have held half of some of those crowds.
There is no way I can do justice to this great man of God in a brief column, but if you want to know more about him, his wife Ruth and their five children, you may search the Internet. I can promise that you will be blessed.
But please, let me return to Dr. Graham’s favorite meal. Can you guess what it was? Well, I couldn’t in a million years until Franklin told us what it was — Vienna sausage and pork and beans right out of the can, with some saltine crackers on the side. I was already endeared to this great man, but his down-to-earth lifestyle made him even more special.
As I thought about Dr. Graham and the marvelous and productive life he lived, I was reminded of a wonderful article I ran across several years ago. It is titled simply “Class.” As I share it, I believe you will agree, Dr. Graham was all of this and more.
CLASS
“Class never runs scared. It is sure footed and confident that you can meet life head on and handle whatever comes along. Class never makes excuses. It takes its lumps and learns from past mistakes. Class is considerate of others. It knows that good manners are nothing more than a series of petty sacrifices. Class bespeaks an aristocracy that has nothing to do with ancestors or money. The most affluent blueblood can be totally without class, while the descendant of a Welsh miner may ooze class from every pore.
“Class never tries to build itself up by tearing others down. Class is already up; it cannot look better by making others look worse. (And here is the part that really epitomizes Dr. Graham) Class can walk with kings and keep its virtue, and talk with crowds and keep the common touch. Everyone is comfortable with the person who has class because he is comfortable with himself. If you don’t have it, no matter what else you have, it doesn’t make much difference.”
Dr. Graham liking Vienna sausage and pork and beans reminded me of my earlier days. My first paying job, right out of high school, was driving a laundry truck for List Laundry in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. My territory included the small communities south of town, and there were several old-timey mercantile stores on my route. Each one was a great place to stop and have a bite of lunch, which usually consisted of a slice of hoop cheese, a slice of bologna, crackers and yes, Vienna sausage and pork and beans from time to time.
While my wife Janis is not too keen on these delicacies, today if you come by our home and look in the cupboard, you will find several cans of Dr. Graham’s favorite food, enough for a couple of meals.
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(For a personally signed copy of my new book ‘Your Future Begins Today’ send $20 — includes postage & handling — to Jim Davidson, 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)