“What is the greatest surprise you have found about life?”

—  Billy Graham

a university student asked me several years ago.
"Its brevity" I replied without hesitation. … Time moves so quickly, and no matter who we are or what we have done, the time will come when our lives will be over. As Jesus said, "As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work" (John 9:4). … Life is short, and every day is a gift from God.

Just As I Am : The Autobiography of Billy Graham (1997), co-written with Cliff Barrows

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update June 3, 2021. History

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Billy Graham photo
Billy Graham 32
American Christian evangelist 1918–2018

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