Funny How God Works

God impacted and changed many lives through the ministry of Reverend Billy Graham. Much has been said about how he ministered to presidents, world leaders, and dignitaries. However, as important as it was for those people to receive Dr. Graham’s counsel, the Gospel message that he brought to the millions of people all over the world will no doubt highlight his legacy. God powerfully used Billy Graham to bring the masses to Jesus. I am sure that lives continue to be changed today because of the sermons he preached even as far back as the 1950’s.

Here is an example to bear this out. When I was 5 years old and Mike, my brother, was a baby our mother was about ready to leave my dad. He spent most of his time with his buddies at the VFW every night playing cards and drinking. My mother was a strong Christian lady, and she loved my dad with all of her heart. But she was fed up with his behavior. One night she got a ride to the VFW and with Mike on her hip, and me holding her hand, she marched into that establishment, and told my dad that he would take us home right then, or she was leaving him. Daddy was a smart guy. He got up from the table and followed mom out to the car. As far as I know he never went back.

Daddy was not a Christian, and he never went to church. We had a neat pastor who loved Jesus and loved to tell people about him. His name was Kenneth Houchin. Brother Houchin made friends with daddy and talked him into riding a bus with other members of the church to Louisville to hear Rev. Graham preach at a crusade that was being held there. That night my dad was touched by what he heard and saw. The message, the singing, and no doubt the response of thousands of people who went down and accepted Jesus as Savior touched my dad’s heart. He did not make a decision that night, but soon after he returned home Bro. Houchin came to see my dad. He said, “Victor we need to talk.” Daddy went with him, and after Bro. Houchin explained how he could ask Jesus to save him my dad was ready. There was no doubt what he needed to do, and that afternoon my dad was saved. His life was changed. Victor Brady became a different man that afternoon.

Billy Graham and Kenneth Houchin were men of God who were able to lead my dad to Jesus. Now both of them and my dad are in heaven, but because they were obedient to God lives continue to be changed today. One or I guess two examples happen to be my brother and me. Very often when a dad is not a Christian and does not go to Church their sons follow in their footsteps. I have described Mike as being a renegade in high school, but he had been saved, and he did go to church. Although I was not as bad as Mike I did have my problems.  Sherri and I finished college, got married, acquired  jobs teaching school, and I also coached basketball and baseball. My life was consumed by sports. My focus was not on God.  In 1972 our dad got very sick and in just a few days he died. His death was a life changer for Mike and me. We were both devastated.

Not long after daddy’s death Mike made a big turn around. In a year or so he felt God calling him  into the ministry. Soon after that he got married, and he and his wife, Lisa, accepted a pastorate in Bowling Green Kentucky where Mike was also a student at Western Kentucky University. Mike continues to pastor where he has been for the past 26 years.

In 1973 my home church voted to make me a deacon. I can’t explain it, nobody mentioned it to me, but I knew as the church was voting at the end of the Sunday morning service that I would be selected as deacon. I was not surprised when that afternoon the pastor knocked on our door to tell Sherri and me what I had expected. I had been chosen to be a deacon. A year later I knew that  God wanted me to go into the ministry, but the problem was I didn’t want to do it. I didn’t think I could. I didn’t like to speak in public. After a few months of fighting it, I gave in to God and accepted the call to preach.

After both Mike and I had become preachers and pastors, our mother told us that our dad had prayed every day that God would call us into the preaching ministry. I’m sure God did with us what he created us to do, but I also believe that he put it in my dad’s heart that preaching was what the two of us should do with our lives. I wonder sometimes if Mike and I would have stayed in church and would have ever become pastors if our dad had not listened to Brother Houchin, and had not heard Dr. Graham preach that night. We might have ended up at the VFW playing cards and drinking beer.

In 1950-something a young evangelist from North Carolina preached a sermon in Louisville, Kentucky, and an old farm boy who had two little sons heard it. There was a young pastor who befriended that rough farm boy, took him to hear that evangelist, and later told him how he could know Jesus as his Savior. Those two little boys became preachers, have preached many sermons, have been blessed to minister to no telling how many people and baptized  a good number of them since the early 1970’s. Five men connected by a movement, a ministry to tell people about Jesus. That’s the way God planned to redeem the lost and dying. This same story, I am sure, has been repeated thousands of times all around the world.

This morning my daughter, Susan, got to school. One of her students was leaving. Susan asked her where she was going. The little fifth grade girl told her that her mother was coming to get her. “What’s wrong?” Susan asked. “I don’t know! The last time this happened my grandfather had died”, the little girl answered. Susan told her that it probably wasn’t anything bad. Later in the morning Susan learned the the little girl's great grandfather had passed away. Her great grandfather is Dr. Billy Graham, and her grandmother is Ann Graham Lotz. It was Ann’s husband and the little girl's grandfather who tragically drowned last year. Susan has also taught Dr. Graham's other two great granddaughters who attend her school. Susan has shared the story about my dad with these young girls. Small world, isn’t it?