Country singer Granger Smith was at the lowest point of his life when his son died. However, in this desperate situation, he learned more about Jesus through Billy Graham’s sermons online.
Granger Smith
Acclaimed country singer Granger Smith was having a great year in 2019. It seemed like a happy family was at home because it was sold out. Until one terrible day.
“I was in the backyard with the three kids just kind of enjoying the last few moments before I head off the tour. I was playing gymnastics with my daughter and the boys were playing water gunfight,” he recalled.
When it became quiet, Granger wondered where his son, River, was.
“There he was in our pool, in the gated locked pool, in the middle, floating face down. I flipped him over and he was like a ragged doll. I panicked,” he said.
By the time the rescuers reached River, Granger and his wife Amber had already lost the battle. Their three-year-old son had passed away.
Visions
“I had this thing that I called the ‘slideshow.’ And I had these visions that would pop into my head at any moment. It’s River in the pool. It’s the ambulances screaming down that county road. And it’s the doctor walking in saying, ‘He’s not going to make it,’” Granger said.
Granger quickly found out, though, that he couldn’t just get through his pain. He tried therapy, self-help books, and meditation to stop the slideshow. Having grown up in a Christian home, he began reading Bible devotionals. However, the visions persisted. Then, a friend suggested to Granger that smoking marijuana might help him calm down. For a while, it did.
READ | ZACH WILLIAMS: ‘IF I’VE BEEN PERFECTED IN GOD’S LOVE, WHAT AM I AFRAID OF?’
But one night on tour in Idaho, everything came to a head. Six months after River died, Granger’s band had just played two sold-out shows in a row and wanted to go to a nearby bar to party.
“I got to the bus and that’s when it hit me. When I saw the back of the bus, I thought, ‘This is the first time I’ve been drunk since it all went down.’ And as soon as I started thinking that, the slideshow popped in,” he recalled.
Granger Smith Learns More About Jesus
Granger added, “I started sobbing. I was shaking, pulled out my gun, and put the gun up to my head. That’s when I had a thought, it was outside of my own consciousness the best way I could describe it. But the thought was, ‘This is the way to rest.’ I recognized that there was an enemy speaking to me. I said, ‘Jesus, save me. Please save me.’ And the slideshow stopped.”
Granger thought of Billy Graham, so he looked for him online. He listened to more than 100 sermons over the next few weeks.
Granger played his last show on August 26, 2023. After singing for 24 years, he decided to focus on studying the Bible and sharing the love of Jesus with everyone who would listen. His family was also blessed with another child, Maverick. Granger recently finished writing a book called “Like A River,” which tells a story of loss and redemption that he hopes will bring comfort to others. Granger says that Christ gave him a new purpose and believes that we can all find healing through Him if we believe.
Reference: The 700 Club
Header image: Granger Smith [The 700 Club]. YouTube, 22 November 2023, https://youtu.be/bBh3BVZyChY
