Ruth, a Portrait

The childhood years of the future Mrs. Billy Graham were spent in the mysterious China of the 1920s and '30s. The daughter of medical missionaries, she and her family were caught in a crucible of unspeakable hardship. In addition to pestilence and plague, there was the unstable political and military turmoil surrounding the Nationalist government, the Communists, and the Japanese invaders. These hazardous realities shaped Ruth Bell and her family, a family inured to difficulties, but buoyed up by their deep belief in God's abiding will. As the wife of Billy Graham, she stood alongside him at presidential inaugurations and at important events, yet often sat alone, hidden in the crowd at Billy's international and national rallies. Here we see how valuable Ruth's contribution to Billy's work has really been. She kept their home and family life intact, reached out to those searching for Christ at Billy's crusades, and brought spiritual guidance and comfort to the people around her - her handymen, local college students, and anyone who wrote, called, or showed up at her doorstep looking for hope. As a young girl, Ruth wanted to be a missionary, never dreaming that she would marry one of the greatest preachers our country has known, and bring Christ to people far away as well as right around the corner.