Letters From Grandpa #70

• LETTERS FROM GRANDPA
• 70

Dearest Grandchild,

In today’s letter I want to share a brief insight into the life of the late Paul Harvey. I hope it will provide guidance and inspiration to you. I recognize that most of you have probably never heard his name, and have no way of understanding the impact he had on a previous generation.

As a point of interest, Granny and I graduated from the same school he graduated from. The teacher that had such an impact on his life, retired in 1953, the year before Granny and I graduated. The information in this letter about Paul Harvey comes from the book “Good Day” by Paul J. Batura.

Miss Isabelle E. Roman was a speech and drama teacher at Central High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma. One of her promising students was Paul Harvey Aurandt. He would later become famous by using his first two names. In 1933 Miss Roman was so impressed by h is voice that she walked with him to radio station KVOO for an audition. Soon this 14 year old high school student was a regular announcer on this powerful station known as the “Voice of Oklahoma”.

After 5 years with KVOO Harvey spent 3 years wtih KFBI in Salina, Kansas. At the tender age of 21 he now was familiar with almost every aspect of running a radio station.

When he moved to Missoula, Montana, however, he came to a crossroad that could have ended his promising career. He was fired from his job as a news man with station KVGO. The loss of his job was made even more painful by the lecture he received from Art Mosby, who owned the station. He sat Paul down and said: “ . . . I’m going to give you the best advice you’ve ever received. I’m going to shoot you straight here. You have a silly and funny sounding voice . . . but Paul, honestly, you’ve never going to make it in the news business. You don’t have a believable sound for news. It’s distracting. People won’t trust it . . .”

At this point Paul Harvey began a serious reflection on what he had just been told. Was Miss Roman wrong? Had all the people who gave been accolades at KVOO and KFBI been wrong? Was he wrong in believing that God had called him to the microphone.

Then Paul remembered the words of the legendary Benjamin Franklin at the Constitutional Convention in 1788. After days of fruitless discussion, Franklin arose and said: “. . . the longer I live the more convincing proofs I see of this truth: that God governs in the affairs of men . . .” Believing in the Sovereignty of God, Harvey concluded that Mosby had actually done him a favor. Paul Harvey was so optimistic about the future that he declared “tomorrow” to be his favorite day of the week. He was not bitter and all and truly felt that Mosby had actually pushed him up by kicking him out. When Art Mosby died on Nov. 30, 1970 Paul wrote a gracious tribute and said that if any improvement was needed in heaven, the right man had just arrived to take care of it.

At this point it would be wise for all of us to give serious thought to the convictions of Benjamin Franklin and Paul Harvey. Does God govern in the affairs of man or not? Your answer

to this question can determine both your happiness, and your destiny.

There is no question that Art Mosby was wrong about Paul Harvey. After 50 years of broadcasting the news over ABC, Harvey was so successful that lucrative offers poured in from other radio stations to secure his services. Though he was 82 at the time, ABC offered him a ten year contract with an unbelievable salary of $100 million. Not too bad for someone who was “never going to make it in the news business.”

While all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, two heroes from the Bible stand out as men whose blemishes were so insignificant that they are not recorded. Joseph and Daniel came to the same crossroads as Paul Harvey and Benjamin Franklin. No matter how unfairly they were treated, however, they never fell prey to bitterness. Their total and complete confidence in God’s ability to govern in the affairs of men propelled both men to unprecedented success. Joseph came directly from a prison cell to be one of the most powerful men in the world. Daniel came from the lion’s den to even more heights of power and prestige. Daniel served as a powerful leader for decades under such world rulers as King Nebuchadnezzar. King Belshazzar, and King Darius. He even survived the conquest of Babylon by Cyrus the King of Persia.

Please remember! Bitterness is not a virtue! A root of bitterness has defiled many (Heb. 12:15). Don’t let it defile you! TRULY, GOD DOES GOVERN IN THE AFFAIRS OF MEN!

For insight into Paul Harvey, please listen to this recording which was made around 1965. His insights into what was happening to America can be of great help to you if you listen with understanding.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3Az0okaHig

Have a “Good Day”.

Grandpa Boyce