My family's hero: Billy Graham

I know what a hero is. Webster defines him or her as: "a legendary figure often of divine descent endowed with great strength or ability."

That's not a bad definition and description of the Rev. Billy Graham, as he was called by God and endowed with amazing gifts to be one of the most influential figures of the 20^th century, let alone the greatest preachers and evangelists of all time.

From his simple beginnings being reared on a dairy farm in Charlotte, North Carolina, to being a personal counselor and pastor for every president since Harry Truman, William (Billy) F. Graham Jr. was an ordinary man through whom God did extraordinary things. He reached out and touched millions of people for decades through his globally televised evangelistic crusades before there was even an internet, and that included my family and me.

There's more to my journey of faith than I can describe here. I explained it more fully in a CBN interview years ago, including how God used my wife, Gena, to bring me back to Him after years of being spiritual lost and caught up in a Hollywood lifestyle and luxury. Suffice it for me here to focus on the pivotal role Rev. Graham played for my whole family and me, especially in the early years of my faith.

I was born in rural Ryan, Oklahoma, into a family struggling to survive, led by an alcoholic, absent and philandering father who moved our family 16 times by the time I was 15 years of age. My parents eventually divorced, and my mom moved us to California for a fresh start, where she raised us as a single mom in abject poverty.

My mother, Wilma Norris Knight, has always been a Christian woman of gigantic spiritual fortitude and faith. She's never wavered. She made my younger brothers and I go to church wherever we lived. She loves Jesus with all of her heart and soul, and she made sure we understood that growing up. She still reminds me time to time, despite the fact that I'm 77 years old and she's 96!

I gave my life to the Lord at 12 years old. I was also baptized at 12. My faith grew stronger over the years, especially with Mom's help.

Chuck Norris provides real solutions to our county's problems and a way to reawaken the American dream in his best-seller, "Black Belt Patriotism."

I believe it was 1958, when I was 18 years old, that Billy Graham returned for his second evangelistic crusade in Los Angeles. We were all so excited about going and hearing.

Billy preached up a spiritual storm! He was in his prime. I couldn't find footage of that Los Angeles crusade, but here is some from just a few nights before he preached in San Francisco. If you've never seen Billy in his heyday, it's a must see.

The coliseum was packed to the brim. The music was inspiring. The preaching was life-changing. And when Billy made an altar call at the end, my mother, my two brothers and I all went down front to rededicate our lives to God.

This moment became even more important for my mom, when 13 years later in 1970, my brother Wieland, who was also my best friend at the time, sacrificed his life in Vietnam when he walked point for his platoon and was gunned down by a single bullet to the heart.

Here's the way my mom describes the importance of Billy Graham in her autobiography, "Acts of Kindness: My Story":

In 1958, we all went to a Billy Graham crusade in Los Angeles. I was more grateful than ever that Wieland had rededicated his life to Jesus Christ that day when the Rev. Graham beckoned in his altar call for people to come down and pray, and we all went.

I gave Wieland a book by Billy Graham to take to Vietnam, and I wrote encouraging words all the way through it. Especially meaningful to me was the poem I taped in the front of the book, "I Cannot Go with You Son, But He Can."

On the day he was killed, Wieland wrote his two brothers and me. In his letter to Aaron, he wrote, "I have never felt closer to God in my life." In my letter, he told me about the Billy Graham book that I had given him and how much it meant to him.

Jesus saved the souls of everyone in our family, but he used Billy Graham to ensure our blessed assurance. That makes Billy one of our family's heroes.

There have been a few occasions where my wife, Gena, and I saw Billy Graham. The first was at President George H. W. Bush's library opening.

The second time we saw Rev. Graham was as a special speaker at the Bush School at Texas A&M University.

And the third time was with former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who invited us to Billy and Franklin Graham's Crusade in Dallas, Texas, in the early 2000s.

The evening prior to the crusade, Gena said to me: "I think I'll write a note to Billy in case I can't say anything when we meet him." I laughed and said, "Honey, you have never had any trouble talking to anyone."

The following evening after the crusade ended, Franklin and Billy came to the area where we and Gov. Perry were waiting to meet them. After I greeted the godly men, I turned and introduced my beloved wife to them: "This is my wife, Gena." She was completely silent, just as she thought!

In her hand was her personal note, so I took it and handed it to Rev. Graham as I said, "Billy, my wife said that in case she couldn't talk, to please give this to Rev. Graham." Here it is!

What was so touching was the heartfelt sentiment and respect that Gena held for Rev. Graham all the adult years of her life. Her note expressed her gratitude toward his faithful ministry, and how he brought the simple message of salvation through believing in Jesus Christ as our personal Savior. The note ended it with her heartfelt sentiment that to sit at his feet and learn would be an incredible honor.

This past week, on the day Rev. Graham left for heaven, I reflected upon that crusade night exactly 60 years ago. As with countless millions, I am personally so grateful for his life and ministry, and the legacy he leaves through his amazing adult kids: Franklin Graham and Anne Graham Lotz.

Rev. Graham will lie in honor this Wednesday and Thursday (Feb. 28 to March 1) in the Rotunda at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., where Congress will also conduct a memorial for him. He deserves all the accolades Washington and those who come to pay respects can offer. The Billy Graham Evangelical Association announced Rev. Graham's funeral service will take place at noon on Friday, March 2, at the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte, North Carolina.

One thing I know Billy would want me to do is to extend the love and peace of God he so often spoke about by sharing the Steps to Peace with God with others. Here they are.

I will give my last words to Rev. Graham. They are from one of my favorite quotes of his:

"Someday you will read or hear that Billy Graham is dead. Don't you believe a word of it. I shall be more alive than I am now. I will just have changed my address. I will have gone into the presence of God."

(To watch one of Billy's last recordings about his hope in heaven, click here. To watch and learn more about his life and ministry, I also highly recommend the documentaries "Billy Graham: God's Ambassador" and "Thank you, Billy Graham: A Tribute to the Man and His Message.")

Chuck Norris provides real solutions to our county's problems and a way to reawaken the American dream in his best-seller, "Black Belt Patriotism."