Each year, thousands of people visit the Billy Graham Library to see the remarkable ways God can move through a life fully surrendered to Him.
For Mitty Dravich, this became very personal last May.
The Long Road Home
Mitty grew up in a Christian home, but her parents’ work schedules often kept them from attending church. Though her father had a King James Bible, Mitty didn’t understand the words she was hearing or reading.
“I never really had a good religious grounding,” she said. “It was surface [level].”
Beginning in 2013, Mitty experienced one heartbreak after another, which made her run farther and farther from God. After battling an illness, Mitty’s father passed away, and shortly after, her husband died, too. Her struggle with alcohol abuse followed closely behind. She was later diagnosed with and treated for breast cancer.
As an only child and widow with no children, Mitty felt isolated and alone, yet God was still working in her life. Over several years, faithful friends planted seeds, and the Holy Spirit gently and continually tugged at her.
But it wasn’t until six years into remission and two years into sobriety that Mitty really started to listen. The conversations she had with friends about their own faith were finally taking root in Mitty’s heart.
One morning she woke up at 3:33 a.m. Mitty knew she needed something. She turned to a book she recently purchased, “How to Pray When You’re Hurting.” It directed her to Jeremiah 33:3:
“Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.” (ESV)
“It was like—He’s talking to me. He knows I’m searching,” she recalled. “I knew He was telling me, ‘Take these steps and move forward.’”
Over the next few months, she continued her search. She began to pray, explore Bible studies, and engage in more conversations about faith. Mitty visited the Billy Graham Library in May, and by the time she left the final room on The Journey of Faith tour, she was finally ready. She eagerly prayed with a Library volunteer in the prayer room to surrender her life to the Lord.
“Something about walking through that door … it just took [my] heart away,” she said, holding her hand against her heart as she remembered that day.
Joy in the Presence of God
Even though Mitty grew up around the church, she never knew the Lord like she does now.
“God was always there,” she said. “I never knew He was there, [but] He was getting me through all the stuff I was going through. And now … I can’t get enough.”
Since May, Mitty has returned several times, even bringing friends with her. Most recently, she volunteered for Christmas at the Library, portraying Mary in the live nativity and helping with the carriage rides.
Mitty’s faith and excitement are contagious. During her service at the Library recently, she confidently urged visitors to “open your heart and see. If you [do], you will hear from God.”
Will you pray for Mitty as she continues to share her testimony and witness for the Lord? Also, pray that many Library guests will come to know Christ or deepen their relationship with Him, especially in the remaining days of Christmas at the Library.