'The First Thing I Thought of...Was Root Beer': Matthew West's Special Moment with Billy Graham
The death of world evangelist and preacher Billy Graham has sparked a number of tributes from politicians, musicians, and sports figures. A number of people remember Graham as a "spiritual giant" and a man that has impacted the faith movement for generations. But singer and songwriter Matthew West remembers Graham for a special moment they shared over a glass of root beer.
"Billy Graham, a spiritual giant, a voice to the masses, a man who filled stadiums with hungry souls and reached countless people with the life-saving message of a God who loved them," Matthew wrote on Instagram. "The first thing I thought of when I heard of his passing this morning was root beer."
West shared that he was scheduled to perform an intimate acoustic concert at the Billy Graham Library when a surprise text from Graham's grandson, Will, allowed him to check off an item off his "bucket list".
"He picked me up the morning of the concert and we took a little drive up through mountains of North Carolina until we arrived at the home of Billy Graham," he wrote on his Facebook blog.
West said he was in awe as he realized he was going to meet "America's pastor". He then reminisced about the first time he heard Graham on television.
"I remember Billy's booming voice echoing through the stadium inviting people to get up out of their seats, step into the aisle and come forward if they would like to pray and invite Jesus into their lives," West wrote.
"I was sitting on that old blue couch, (I can still see it now) heart pounding with the feeling that this would be the moment I would answer the question Reverend Graham had just asked, 'What will you do with Jesus?', he continued.
West wrote that his mother walked past him while he was watching the program and asked him if he wanted to receive the Lord.
"Together we prayed and that was the hour I first believed," he said.
Many years later, West sat across from Graham over a glass of root beer sharing stories in Graham's kitchen.
"I'll never forget that conversation," he wrote. "Today, I cried a little as I remembered that root beer conversation in Billy Graham's kitchen. I cried as I thought about this man who impacted so many lives including mine."
West wrote that he and his family paid tribute to Graham by drinking a glass of root beer.
"Tonight, I'm going to drink a root beer with my family at dinner and I'm going to tell my daughters about the life of this man who is now seeing the Heaven he has showed so many the way to," he added. "A man who is now more alive than ever."
