Friday, April 30, 2010

Writing Class- My Favorite Prodigal

It's hard to select which prodigal is my favorite when we've studied so many memorable rebels. However, there is only one prodigal that I thoroughly enjoyed: Franklin Graham. From the beginning of his autobiography, his charm, wit, and honesty won me over. I enjoyed no other book or movie nearly as much as Franklin's book, except perhaps Homer, yet I don't view him as a prodigal. Franklin's book in its entirety is one of my favorite reads of all-time because it is so enjoyable and easy to read. I loved reading about his mischievous youth and how his rebellious attitude and actions hurt him for years to come. I enjoyed reading about his adulthood and how he came to lead Samaritan's Purse, along with the countless missionary trips he went on, friends he met, and things he did for God. I couldn't put the book down when I read about his later years and when he faced several problems in the missionary field, along with facing his fear of preaching. But above all these things, I truly loved Franklin because I felt connected to him. I saw the same mischievous attitude in him that I have. I also saw that his heart was in servanthood, as is mine. When I try to summarize Franklin's character into one sentence, I think about the description associated with King David: Franklin was a man after God's own heart. No matter how Franklin messed up, no matter how things didn't go as planned, no matter how little money or food or medical supplies he had, no matter how much political or spiritual oppression he faced, no matter how or when fear gripped him, no matter how discouraged he was, no matter how little worldly help he received, he always stood strong and continued to passionately pursue a deeper, stronger, lovelier, and more mature relationship with Jesus. That is simply why Franklin Graham is my favorite prodigal.