*In 1904 William Borden, heir to the Borden Dairy Estate, graduated from a Chicago high school a millionaire. His parents gave him a trip around the world. Traveling through Asia, the Middle East, and Europe gave Borden a burden for the world’s hurting people. Writing home, he said, “I’m going to give my life to prepare for the mission field.” When he made this decision, he wrote in the back of his Bible two words: No Reserves.

Turning down high paying job offers after graduation from Yale University, he entered two more words in his Bible: No Retreats.

Completing studies at Princeton Seminary, Borden sailed for China to work with gentiles, stopping first at Egypt for some preparation. While there he was stricken with cerebral meningitis and died within a month. In his Bible underneath the words No Reserves and No Retreats, he had written the words No Regrets.

Was William Borden’s seemingly untimely death a waste of human life? Absolutely not. Thousands of people have read his story and have been encouraged in their heavenly call to harvest..... 

Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.John 12:24

....selected....Our Daily Bread, December 31, 1988