While I was preparing to write this story, it came over the airwaves, early in the morning of February 21st, 2018 that Evangelist Billy Graham had died at his home in Montreat, N.C. at the age of 99. He was both deaf and blind and had Parkinson’s. Donna and I lost a son, Rob, to Parkinson’s at the young age of 59.
The story I am writing about happened in October 1953, four months before Donna and I started going together. As I write this, we are celebrating 64 years since we first met. At that time, I was working at a shoe factory in London, Ontario, having moved in November 1951 to London, Ontario from Nova Scotia.
After my father died when I was in Grade 9, I quit school and went to work. A friend invited me to go with him to a Billy Graham Crusade, which was being held at the Detroit Fairgrounds in Detroit, Michigan. In all, I have heard Billy Graham preach three times: Detroit, Michigan; Toronto, Ontario and Halifax, N.S.
My friend and I were there for three days. Before the Saturday night service, Dr. Graham came out and recorded his Sunday radio sermon. Cliff Barrows introduced him, and he started to preach, what I believe, was about 20 minutes. Pretty soon, a paper dropped from the pulpit, then another another and another. A lady sitting in front of me said, “Oh my, he’s losing his notes.” Having preached on the radio myself various times, I understood why he had so many notes. You have to have all your notes double-spaced to make it easier to read and, therefore, you have a lot more pages.
After finishing the recording, the evening service began with hymns, the choir and George Beverly Shea, and then Billy Graham speaking on “Commitment”. This was in 1953 and Joe Louis, the boxer, with his manager, was on the platform. He lived in Detroit and his mother was quite sick. He had asked Billy to visit her in the hospital.
When the sermon ended, they sang, “I Surrender All”. When he gave the altar call, he invited young people to come forward. Approximately 1,000 in all went forward, and I was one of them. Billy Graham called an old missionary friend to join him and said, “I have this tie clip in my pocket.” He had taken it off when he put his microphone on. He took it out of his pocket and gave it to his missionary friend and said, “It is a gift to you. I have lots more at home.” He said, “If, after the service, I ask for it back, it would be like many here tonight, if when you leave here, you don’t follow through and serve Christ and you go back on your commitment.”
I want you to remember this story. I have never forgotten it.
When I went back to my motel room, not to disturb my friend, who by now had gone to bed, I went into the bathroom and knelt to pray. I said, “Dear Lord, you know what I work at and I don’t have much education, but I give my life to you to be used for your glory.”
In October 1956, married and with a 5‑month-old son, I couldn’t fight the conviction any longer. Donna went to work as a secretary, and her mother looked after our son, Rob. I left my job to prepare for the ministry. It was a long and very difficult road at times but God carried us through.
Leslie Jobb