William Borden...does this name sound familiar to you? It didn't to me either when I heard a pastor mention it in a church camp service this week. But boy, am I glad to know the name now.
William Borden was literally born a millionaire. His family is the famous (and wealthy) owners of Borden, Inc., better known as the producers of Eagle Brand milk. Anyways, what makes Borden really special isn't the fact that he was born into money, but that he willingly gave it all up.
Just after finishing with his schooling Borden traveled the world. During these travels he began to hurt for the people he encountered. He once remarked that in every country he saw souls that desperately needed salvation. When Borden returned home to Chicago he informed his family that he was giving up his share of the company and he was leaving this life of luxury behind to travel to China to work with the Muslims.
Borden did just that. He packed his bags and headed out. He decided to stop in Egypt on his way to get a little experience working with the Muslim people. While there Borden died of cerebral meningitis. He was only 25 and he never made it to China.
As the preacher spoke of this mans life I began to ache for him, for his family, for all of the people that would have been touched by him in China. Then the preacher continued.
Among William Borden's possessions that were sent back to his parents was a journal. In this journal was something that could touch people much further down the road than just him traveling on to China. Just after telling his family that he would give up his fortune to travel to China as a missionary Borden wrote "No Reserve". Later, after being told by his father that he would never be welcomed back to work for the family business, he wrote "No Retreat". The part that really got me was just hours before he died in Egypt Borden wrote "No Regrets".
This man who died in 1913 at the young age of 25 has forever inspired me. He gave up literally millions and was turned away by his own father to follow his calling. He may not have made it to China but his story has made it in to the heart of a 22 year old in 2013, something he likely never imagined would happen in a million years.
I hope that I can be half the Christian that he was and I hope I get to shake his hand and hear his story from his own lips as we relax on the bank of the crystal river in Heaven!
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