“Alamin ninyong ako ang Diyos — Oo, ako lamang. Maliban sa akin ay wala nang iba pa. Ako’y pumapatay at nagbibigay-buhay, ako’y sumusugat at nagpapagaling din naman. Wala nang makakapigil, anuman ang aking gawin.”

Deuteronomio 32:39

“What a waste! He died so young! He could’ve done more here on Earth.”

This is what was said about Bill Borden. Born into a rich family, he became a Christian at a young age and by age sixteen, he traveled to Europe, Africa, and Asia. Nagkaroon siya ng heart for missions and wanted to reach Muslims in China. Nag-aral siya and became involved in many Christian ministries. He joined the China Inland Mission and went to Cairo to study Arabic. Unfortunately, he contracted cerebral meningitis. On April 9, 1913, when he was twenty-five years old, he died without ever having set foot in China as a missionary.

It might not make sense to us why God would let Bill Borden die young when he could’ve done more. Imagine how many people he could’ve shared the gospel with in China. We might feel the same way about people we know. When we lose a loved one suddenly, we ask God, “Why did you take him so soon, Lord?”

But nothing takes God by surprise. If our lives were a straight line, He knows where it starts and where it ends. In Ephesians 1:11 (NIV), the apostle Paul said, “In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will.”

Hindi nasayang ang buhay ni Bill Borden. He gave away his fortune to many mission agencies. After he had died, his friends said they found a note under his pillow that reads, “No Reserve! No Retreat! No Regrets!”