Clouds Are the Dust of His Feet

by Ruth Bell Graham

Clouds Are the Dust of His Feet by Ruth Bell Graham

Genres: Poetry, Nonfiction

138 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1929

About the author

Ruth Graham was born in China; her parents were American medical missionaries at the Presbyterian Hospital 300 miles north of Shanghai. Ruth was a Christian from an early age. She graduated from Wheaton College, Illinois, where she met her future husband Billy Graham. They were married on August 13, 1943 in Montreat, NC when she was 23. Her husband became a full time evangelist preaching the gospel all over the world. She loved to move behind the scenes, away from the spotlight, and helped him craft and research sermons and even books. She wrote as an emotional release, while her husband was so often on the road. Ruth convinced Billy to move the family to Montreat, near her parents, when their first child was on the way. Her ministry flourished in the mountains of western North Carolina, where she built the family homestead and raised five children. Ruth and Billy were married over 65 years and had 19 grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren. Ruth Graham died at the age of 87.

Reviews

[Janelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful anthology of poetry by Ruth Graham Bell, both in its layout, and in the artistry of her words. All the verses are unmetered, and while normally I would be complaining about this, preferring metered poetry as I do, there is such lightness and grace in her words, that metre would be somehow overdone and heavy. For the most part, the poems are arranged chronologically throughout Ruth's life. I would have loved to see poems from the years when her children were young, but I guess she was too busy raising them to be indulging in writing. So there is a gap of about 25 years over this period. There is a heavy use of Whitespace throughout the book, which gives a visual sense of rest, and scenic photos scattered throughout. While I'm glad these photos were included, I can't say I like any of the scenes. Perhaps this is due to the age of the book; photographic books of today tend to have clearer pictures.
In all this book is a spiritual blessing and a treasure, and I look forward to revisiting it again and again.

[Hope · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ruth's poetry is simple and deep. Reminds me of Emily Dickenson in it's brevity and winsomeness. Delightful!