环球英语 — 209：Ruth Bell Graham
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Hello. I’m Mike Procter.
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And I’m Rachel Hobson. Welcome to Spotlight. This programme uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
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On the fourteenth of June 2007, people around the world mourned the death of Ruth Bell Graham. Many people had heard her speak. Many had read her books. And many had experienced her kindness in their lives.
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In today’s Spotlight we tell about Ruth Bell Graham. Who she was – and how a private woman survived a public life. How did she deal with struggles and difficulties? Where did her courage and strength come from?
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Ruth never wanted to be famous. She wanted a simple life. As a girl Ruth even declared that she would never marry. She said she would live her days serving God and other people. And she did, but just not in the way she expected.
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Ruth was born in China in 1920. Her parents were from the United States. But they worked as doctors for a Christian hospital north of Shanghai. They also talked to many people about God. At that time things were difficult in China. There was conflict and civil war. As a young girl, Ruth saw much violence. And this affected her. It gave her a concern for victims of suffering.
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Although there were problems there, Ruth deeply loved China. This country was her home. But at the age of thirteen, Ruth had to leave China! She had to go to a school in Pyongyang, Korea. Ruth wrote:
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“I will never forget the night before I sailed for Korea from Shanghai. I cried myself to sleep. I prayed that I would die before morning. But morning arrived in that great, grey city. And clearly God had not answered my prayer. But I learned things during the separation from my family. I did not know that God was preparing me for a life of many goodbyes.”
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Ruth missed her family very much. She felt lonely during her three long years in Pyongyang. Finally, her parents sent for her. And she went to the United States with them to finish high school and to go to college.
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College was an interesting time for Ruth. She was very intelligent. She enjoyed learning. And it was here that she changed her feelings about marriage. She started to believe that she could serve God even with a husband. Then, she met an amazing young man – Billy Graham. He was kind, intelligent, and he had bright blue eyes. But most of all he was devoted to God.
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Ruth and Billy feel deeply in love. And they were married soon after finishing college. She did not know then that her husband would become one of the most famous men in the world.
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Their life started simply enough. Billy felt the best way he could serve God was to become an evangelist – a Christian minister that travels to many places to talk about God. Ruth supported Billy’s decision. She felt that his work was very important. And she helped him. She spent many hours doing research for him.
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Ruth and Billy had five children. Often Ruth had to raise the children alone while Billy was away. She felt sad without him. So she began writing about her feelings. She wrote many poems that talked about her feelings and about God.
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In 1949, Billy Graham talked at a large conference in Los Angeles, California. He talked in a very powerful way about the love of God. Thousands and thousands of people heard him. Billy Graham started to become famous.
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At home, Ruth started having problems. People wanted to see the family of the famous minister. They kept driving up to her house. She even found someone looking in her bedroom window. Ruth and the children needed a more private place to live.
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Ruth found the privacy she was looking for by moving to a new house. It was in the mountains and difficult to get to. She could raise her children there without being troubled by strangers. Ruth spent most of her time with her family. And she continued to write. She wrote many poems and several books.
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In one book she talked about the problems she had with her sons. Many people expected her family to be perfect. They were a famous Christian family. But her sons could not deal with the pressure. And for a while, they did not follow God. This was a difficult time for Ruth. But she continued to show love to her sons.
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Many people liked the fact that Ruth was open about her problems. They liked that she did not try to hide anything. And many people who read the book felt very encouraged. Ruth also helped her husband write books. In total she wrote and helped to write fourteen [14] books!
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When her children grew up, Ruth was able to travel more with her husband. She spoke at some of his conferences. She told the crowds the message of hope that she found so important, the Christian belief in everlasting life with Jesus:
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“You can come to Jesus as you are, with your wrong doing and your need. If you trust him to save you, he will be faithful to you. He will not let you down... He has not promised that life will be an easy trip. But he has promised a safe arrival.”
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Ruth met many important people from around the world – including presidents and the Queen of England. Billy and Ruth received an award from the United States government for their service to other people. Although she became famous, Ruth never forgot about other people. She especially cared about the people the world often rejects – people in prison and drug addicts.
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In the last twelve [12] years of her life, Ruth developed spinal meningitis. This infection in her back was very painful. And it was made worse because of an earlier back injury. So Ruth lived in pain for the rest of her life. But she continued to offer encouragement. She said:
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“Looking back on my life, I thank God – especially for the tough times. That is when Jesus becomes most real to you.”
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Ruth died at the age of eighty–seven [87]. Her life was very different from what she had expected. But one clear truth stayed with her through all her days – the simple peace of God’s love.
