You know the proverb, "a good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold." It's the beginning of Proverbs Chapter 22. Bill Gaither experienced the real world effects of a good name. He says that when Gloria and he married and they were teaching school in Alexandria, Indiana, where he had grown up, they wanted a piece of land where they could build a house.

Here's the way he tells it: I noticed a parcel south of town where cattle grazed, and I learned it belonged to a 92-year-old retired banker named Mr. Yule. He owned a lot of land in the area, and word was he would sell none of it. He gave the same speech to everyone who inquired: "I promised the farmers they could use it for their cattle."

Gloria and I visited him at the bank. Although…