Goodnight, Jimmy

Jimmy,

Knowing that your passing was coming hasn’t curbed the pain.

You were born of Georgia red clay.

You worked that red clay, growing peanuts.

For a man who was born in such common circumstances, you lived a remarkably uncommon life.

You became a state senator and ran for governor twice.

You ran for president in 1976 and won.

You accomplished much as president, including the Camp David Accords, Panama Canal treaties, and SALT II.

You were an outsider before you entered the White House, and you remained an outsider.

You were saddled with the Iranian Hostage Crisis.

You lost reelection in 1980.

And remarkably, this was the beginning of the best phase of your public life.

You had the best post-presidency ever.

You founded the Carter Center, which worked diligently to eradicate Guinea worm disease and ensure fair elections worldwide.

You negotiated the release of international hostages and served as a special envoy.

You became the best-known volunteer for Habitat for Humanity, helping to build almost 4,400 houses in 14 countries.

You wrote 32 books.

You were outspoken about human rights violations.

You were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

You were remarkable in many ways.

But when I think about you, two aspects of your life stand out.

The first was how you lived out your faith.

You were a Christian in name and deed.

You were and always will be considered an authentic representation of Christian witness.

Unlike certain politicians who use the label for convenience, you lived out your faith publicly and privately.

You conducted yourself in a manner that brought glory to God.

The other aspect of your life is your 77-year marriage to Rosalynn.

When it was unfashionable to have a wife as an equal partner, you proudly and openly counted on her for advice and counsel.

The love that you shared was sweet and genuine.

You won fresh fans when you told a reporter that Rosalynn’s affirmative response to your marriage proposal remained the best moment of your life.

I have no doubt that she greeted you at Heaven’s Gate.

Heaven’s great gain is our great loss.

You have fought the good fight.

You have run your race.

Rest well with Jesus and your beloved.

Goodnight, Jimmy.

Goodnight.