Ruth Bell Graham was a woman who many family and friends recall as the most godly person they ever encountered. Full of wit and a passion for helping others, Ruth passed on June 14, 2007.

Ruth’s sister, Virginia Somerville, shared this about her: “When she was 13, Ruth wrote a poem about Chinese graves. It was something like: ‘Look around the fields near you…’ We lived in a compound surrounded by a brick wall, and on the other side of the brick wall were graves. All of us grew up hearing mothers who would come out to the graves and weep for their children. I think this is partly what inspired Ruth to write about the hopelessness of people who died without Christ. She was always sensitive, even as a young girl.”

Visit the memorial website that was established following Ruth’s death to read more memories of Ruth Bell Graham and see photos from her life.

TIME TO ADORE

By Ruth Bell Graham

 

And when I die

I hope my soul ascends

slowly, so that I

may watch the earth

receding out of sight,

its vastness growing

smaller as I rise,

savoring its recession

with delight.

Anticipating joy

is itself a joy

and joy unspeakable

and full of glory

needs more than

“in a twinkling of an eye,”

more than “in a moment.”

Lord, who am I to disagree?

It’s only we

have much to leave behind;

so much … Before.

these moments

of transition

will, for me, be

time to adore.